DeKALB, IL – The Eastern Michigan Eagles outscored the Northern Illinois University women's basketball team 20-6 in the fourth quarter Saturday to rally for a 76-72 win over the Huskies in the Play 4 Kay Pink Game at the NIU Convocation Center.
 
Alecia Doyle (Carterville, Ill./SEMO) led NIU with 19 points and nine rbeounds, going 9-for-11 from the free throw line. Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) had 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field with five rebounds and two assists. Brooke Blumenfeld (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) had 16 points off the bench.
 
NIU (12-14, 5-9 MAC) used a 9-2 run in the final 1:50 of the third quarter to take a 66-56 lead, its largest advantage of the quarter. Back-to-back threes from Koker and Lexi Carlsen (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) capped that stretch. Eastern Michigan scored eight of the first nine points of the fourth quarter, getting within one at 67-66 on two Kyndal Lewis free throws at the 1:31 mark. The Huskies started the fourth 0-for-5 from the field but got back up by three with 1:14 left on a Koker jumper that made the score 69-66.
 
Eastern Michigan (2-23, 1-13 MAC) answered the Koker basket with layups from Lewis and Brooklyn Thrash to take a 70-69 lead with 0:23 seconds left. NIU was forced to foul late to save time on the clock, sending Sisi Eleko to the free throw line with 0:20 to go. Eleko made both free throws to give the Eagles a 72-69 lead. The Huskies got a layup from Carlsen on the ensuing possession to get within one, 72-71. Olivia Westphal made two free throws with 0:12 left to put the advantage back to three, 74-71.
 
Koker had a chance to tie the game but Dara Capaldi blocked her three-point try out of bounds with 0:08 to go. The sixth-year guard was fouled on the in-bounds and went to the free throw line where she made one of two free throws to make the score 74-72 with 0:03 left. NIU sent Westphal to the line with 0:02 to go, with Westphal making both free throws to make the final score 76-72. The Eagles held NIU to 2-for-12 from the field in the fourth quarter while shooting 8-for-9 from the free throw line.
 
"We always talk about playing a full 40 [minutes] together and unfortunately we were not able to do that today," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "That fourth quarter was rough on both sides of the floor and anytime you do that in this league it can be a recipe for disaster."
 
NIU used a 10-2 run midway through the first quarter, capped by five straight points from Koker, to take a 19-14 lead with 2:09 left in the opening period. Westphal then made a three to cut the lead to two, 19-17, with 1:46 left in the first. Eastern Michigan went on a 9-2 run in the second quarter to take a 28-25 lead on an Elena Cabello three at the 4:43 mark. The Huskies came back with a 13-4 run to close the half, scoring the last 10 points of the second quarter to take a 38-32 halftime lead. Doyle and Carlsen combined for nine of NIU's last 13 points in the first half.
 
The Eagles shot 48.2 percent from the field and 75.0 percent from the free throw line. NIU shot 42.2 percent from the field and was 7-for-18 from the three-point line. The Huskies scored 12 points off of 16 Eastern Michigan turnovers. Eleko led Eastern Michigan with 20 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Olivia Smith added 14 points.
 
 NIU goes on the road on Wednesday, Feb. 26 to take on Kent State. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. CT.
 
--NIU--