Akron, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team came up just short after a late rally against the Akron Zips in a 73-71 defeat on Wednesday night. Lexi Carlsen (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) cut the Huskies deficit to just two inside the final minute before a Zips turnover gave the Huskies the final possession but a layup rimmed out as the clock hit all zeros as the Zips secured the win.
 
"The defensive intensity in the last five minutes was a lot better than the 35 minutes before," head coach Lisa Carlsen said. "It's a tough lesson but we needed to be better in the first 35 minutes to not let them get hot. (Akron) had a few players step up and we didn't do enough to make them uncomfortable."
 
NIU (7-7, 1-2 MAC) was led in scoring by Brooke Blumenfeld (Northbrook,Ill./Glenbrook North) as she scored 16 points, her second highest total of the season. Laura Nickel (Marshall, Wis./Marshall) and Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) both scored 13 points. Koker led the way with five assists while Alecia Doyle (Carterville, Ill./SEMO) led the Huskies with six rebounds.
 
Zakia Rasheed led Akron in scoring with 21 points, Alexus Moblee and Shelbee Brown added 17.
 
Blumenfeld scored NIU's first four points as the Huskies took an early 4-2 lead. The Zips took the lead with a three from Rasheed before a pair of free throws from Sidney McCrea (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Prairie) and a three from Carlsen pushed NIU ahead 9-5 with 5:27 to play in the first quarter. Over the next three and a half minutes, the Zips went on a run to take a 16-13 lead. In the final 85 seconds of the period, baskets by Blumenfeld and Nickel gave NIU a 17-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
Akron (8-7, 2-1 MAC) got on the board first in the second quarter. Blumenfeld and Koker scored over the next minute to give NIU a 21-18 lead 90 seconds into the quarter. The Zips then went on a 11-4 run with four points from Brown and seven from Mobley to take a 27-23 lead. Nickel helped to break the run with a layup and a free throw to bring the Huskies within three with 2:49 remaining in the half. Mobley scored to give Akron a 31-26 advantage before both teams went scoreless for the final 2:08 of the half.
 
The second half was opened by a Zips three before Doyle and Koker scored the next four points as NIU drew the deficit back to four at 34-30. Two Akron threes between a Doyle free throw pushed Akron's lead up to nine. Koker scored NIU's next five points, but the Huskies still trailed, 45-38, after a three from Rasheed. Akron got the lead as high as 10 before Koker ended the third quarter with a buzzer beater to trim the deficit to 55-47. Koker scored nine points in the third quarter.
 
Akron scored to open the fourth before a 6-0 Huskie burst on a pair of free throws from Koker and baskets from Blumenfeld and Doyle cut the NIU deficit to just four. The Zips went on a 9-4 run to get back up by nine, 66-57, forcing a Huskie timeout. Akron's lead was still nine, 70-61, heading into the final three minutes.
 
Following an NIU timeout, Nickel and Stonebraker made baskets to cut NIU's deficit down to just five.  After a pair of Zips free throws NIU trailed 72-65 with 58 seconds to play. Carlsen then made a pair of threes, sandwiched around an Akron free throw, as the Huskies were within two, 73-71. Akron turned the ball over to give NIU a chance to tie in the final moments, but Koker's layup wouldn't go as the Zips held on for the victory.
 
NIU will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 11 against Western Michigan. The game is set for a 1 p.m. tip in the NIU Convocation Center.
 
-- NIU --