DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team erased a double-digit deficit for the second straight game Monday night, coming back from 14 points down to defeat the Chicago State Cougars 67-57 at the NIU Convocation Center.
 
"I'm proud of our team for being resilient and to keep fighting," said head coach Jacey Brooks. "We haven't gotten off to great starts in the last two games and that's something we have to try to fix as a staff. Not all wins are pretty but we'll still take them. Our defense is really locked in. We showed glimpses on offense but if we can defend in the halfcourt I like our chances."
 
The Huskies were 33-for-44 at the free throw line to Chicago State's 7-for-17. Teresa Mbemba (Benguela, Angola/Presbyterian) led all scorers with 19 points off the bench in 26 minutes. Nadechka Laccen (San Juan, Puerto Rico/St. Bonaventure) had 14 points and seven rebounds, going 10-for-12 from the foul line. Emilie Sorensen (Waukee, Iowa/Waukee) scored 12 points and was 6-for-8 from the line.
 
NIU (2-4) trailed 23-9 after the first quarter as Chicago State shot 52.6 percent from the field in the first 10 minutes. The Huskies chipped away at the Cougars' lead early in the second, starting on a 7-2 run capped by a Laccen jumper that made the score 25-16 with 7:03 to go. Chicago State got the lead back up 14 with a quick 7-2 run capped by a Marisa Gant layup that put the Cougars ahead 32-18 with 3:27 remaining in the first half. NIU then went on a 12-3 run to close the half and get within five, 35-30. Sorensen scored eight straight points in that stretch which included back-to-back three-pointers.
 
Chicago State (1-5) led by as much as six in the third before the Huskies made a charge to take the lead. NIU scored eight of the last nine points in the quarter, taking a 49-47 lead on a Mbemba jumper with 0:02 left. The Huskies were 5-for-11 from the field in the quarter and 9-for-13 from the free throw line in the third, holding the Cougars to 23.5 percent shooting from the field.
 
The Cougars quickly tied the game at 49-49 0:30 into the fourth, but the Huskies ran away with a 13-0 run over 4:46 to take a 62-49 lead with 3:22 to go. Laccen and Marta Hermoso (Seville, Spain/McNeese) combined for 8 of the 13 points as the Huskies went 9-for-14 from the foul line in that stretch and held Chicago State to 0-for-6 from the field with four turnovers. The Cougars only got as close as 10 points the rest of the way.
 
"Once we were able to lock in and keep Chicago State out of the paint and on the perimeter, and hold them to one-and-done possessions, things turned in our favor," said Brooks.
 
NIU outrebounded Chicago State 46-39, its second straight game where it outrebounded the opposition. Nevaeh Wingate (Liverpool, N.Y./St. John's) led all players with 11 rebounds. The Huskies also scored 23 points off of 14 Chicago State turnovers. Gant led the Cougars with 15 points. Kyara Champagne added 14 points.
 
The Huskies start a six-game road trip on Sunday, Nov. 30 at Evansville. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. CT.
 
--NIU--