CHICAGO - The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team cut a 15-point UIC halftime lead to six points in the third quarter Thursday night, but could not come all the way back in a 66-55 loss to the Flames at Credit Union 1 Arena.

"We're growing and we're getting more familiar with each game," said head coach Jacey Brooks. "We're getting to know tendencies and what each player can do and the best way to get better is playing together. Once we get everyone going it'll start to click for us."

Junior forward Nevaeh Wingate (Liverpool, N.Y./St. John's) led all scorers with 23 points. Wingate was 5-for-8 from the field, a perfect 3-for-3 from the three-point arc and 10-for-14 from the foul line. She also had seven rebounds. Freshman Cyra Conwell (Chicago, Ill./Butler College Prep) had 10 points in her first career start, making all four of her shots from the field.

"I'm really happy for Cyra," Brooks said. "She gave it her all on the defensive end and did a good job on Jessica Carrothers. Cyra has stayed the course and worked hard."

NIU (0-4) rode the hot shooting of Wingate and Nadechka Laccen (San Juan, Puerto Rico/St. Bonaventure) to build a 12-4 lead in the first 4:42 of the game. The duo scored all 12 of those points as each player made a three. UIC came back with an 8-2 run to close the quarter as back-to-back baskets by Crystal Ortiz and Tutu Clayton made the score 14-12. The Huskies were 6-for-11 from the field in the opening quarter and held the Flames to 31.6 percent.

UIC (1-2) turned the tide in the second quarter. The Flames used a 14-3 run over 4:33 to take a 26-19 lead. The three points came on a Wingate three-pointer, the lone field goal make for NIU in the quarter. Jessica Carrothers had eight points in that stretch for the Flames. The Huskies got as close as six but UIC closed the half on a 9-0 run to go up 37-22 at the break.

The Flames led by as much as 17 in the third quarter before NIU made a charge back into the game. It started with a Marta Hermoso (Seville, Spain/McNeese) three at the 7:12 mark, followed by a Conwell fast break layup that made the score 43-31. Conwell then made back-to-back threes to get the Huskies within 10, 47-37, with 3:04 to go in the third. After Hermoso split two free throws Wingate made her third triple of the game to make the score 47-41 with under a minute to go. UIC made four free throws in the final minute to take a 51-41 lead into the fourth quarter. NIU only got as close as 10 points in the fourth as UIC went on to win 66-55.

The Huskies shot a season-high 42.1 percent from the three-point arc, making 8-of-19 attempts. Conversely, NIU held UIC to 2-for-13 from long range. The Flames outrebounded NIU 38-31 and scored 20 points off 17 Huskies turnovers. Carrothers led UIC with 22 points after averging 22.5 per game in her first two games of the season as Samantha Serrano added 14 points and six rebounds off the bench.

"We wanted to make each shot from Carrothers difficult," said Brooks. "I think 80 percent of her shots were hard. She's a pure scorer and did we all we could to contain her.'

NIU is back in action on Friday, Nov. 21 at SIUE. Tip-off is at 6 p.m.

—NIU—