Huskies Fall in Weeknight Clash Against Miami
 
 DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team was defeated 73-52 on Wednesday night inside the NIU Convocation Center.

Miami used a 9-0 run in the second quarter to build a lead that the RedHawks held throughout the rest of the game.

NIU (7-9, 1-4 MAC) was led in scoring by Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) with 14 points. Koker added two three-pointers and grabbed five rebounds in the effort. Brooke Blumenfeld (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) scored 12, Stonebraker added 11 and grabbed eight boards. Alecia Doyle (Carterville, Ill./SEMO) scored six and grabbed nine rebounds to lead NIU.

Miami (10-5, 3-2 MAC) was led by Enjulina Gonzales with 25 points.

"Miami made it really tough on us on the defensive end and prevented us from getting a flow offensively," Carlsen said. That is a credit to them, we knew they would be good on that end. Defensively, we let Gonzales get going. They got the ball passed around in the second half and made it tough."

Blumenfeld and Stonebraker got the Huskies on the board and Lexi Carlsen (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) gave NIU a 7-5 lead with 6:09 remaining in the first. The RedHawks were able to hold the Huskies to just four points in the final six minutes of the quarter as Miami jumped out to an 18-11 lead after the first with 10 points by Gonzales.  

Stonebraker scored NIU's first two baskets of the second quarter as NIU cut the deficit to five at 20-15. After a Camille Jackson bucket for the RedHawks Chelby Koker and Alecia Doyle scored on back-to-back possessions to cut the deficit to 22-19. A three from Tamar Singer pushed Miami back up by six at 25-19 with 5:12 to play in the second quarter. Blumenfeld cut the deficit back to four before a 9-0 run with seven points from Gonzales pushed Miami ahead 34-21 with 1:52 left in the half. A Doyle jumper ended the Huskies scoring drought and got the score back to 34-23 before a three-point play by Gonzales pushed Miami ahead 37-23 at the halftime break.

Miami pushed ahead by 15 at 43-28 early in the third. Layups from Koker and Blumenfeld pushed NIU back within 11. Miami added the next four to get back up by 15 before a Carlsen three cut NIU's deficit back to 12 at 47-35. An 8-3 RedHawk run with five Miami free throws before threes from Koker and Singer. That pushed Miami's lead as high as 17 late in the third quarter at 55-38.  A pair of free throws in the closing seconds were Koker's ninth and 10^th points of the quarter as NIU cut the deficit to 55-40 after three quarters.

Blumenfeld scored NIU's first four points of the final quarter to make it 58-44. An 5-0 run over the next three minutes pushed the RedHawks up by as much as 19 at 63-44 with 5:30 to play. Stonebraker cut the deficit to 14 with a pair of free throws and a three-pointer. Over the final five minutes Miami pushed ahead by over 20 to close out the game.

NIU is back in action on Saturday, Jan. 18 when the Huskies travel to Bowling Green. That game is set for a 6 p.m. tip-off.

-- NIU --