YPSILANTI, Mich. - The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team set a season-high in field goal percentage for the second straight game on Saturday afternoon but it wasn't enough to get by the Eastern Michigan Eagles in a 72-62 loss at the George Gervin GameAbove Center.

"This game had a lot of 'would've, could've, should've," said head coach Jacey Brooks. "The fact we shot better from the field than the free throw line is disappointing. Eastern Michigan just made the plays down the stretch to win the game."

NIU (4-15, 2-6 MAC) shot 48.2 percent from the field and was 5-for-13 from the free throw line. Nadechka Laccen (San Juan, Puerto Rico/St. Bonaventure) led the Huskies with 18 points, making 8-of-14 shots from the field. Freshman Sa'Mahn Johnson (Columbus, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) scored 16 points off the bench as Emilie Sorensen (Waukee, Iowa/Waukee) added 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting.

"They're getting a ton of experience as freshmen," Brooks said about Johnson and Sorensen. "Early on, it may have been a bit of a rollercoaster with them but they've played very consistently recently. They feel more confident and comfortable in the offense and knowing where they can get their shots."

Eastern Michigan (9-9, 3-5 MAC) scored the first five points of the third quarter to take a 40-30 lead. Laccen sparked an 8-0 run over 1:42 that got the Huskies within two, 40-38, with 7:08 to play in the quarter. Johnson and Nevaeh Wingate (Liverpool, N.Y./St. John's) both had a three-point play in that stretch. The Eagles extended their lead to five before a Laccen three-point play and a Teresa Mbemba (Benguela, Angola/Presbyterian) transition layup tied the game 45-45 at the 3:42 mark. Eastern Michigan responded with five straight points of its own with a Brooklyn Thrash jumper making the score 50-45. The Eagles led by as much as nine before a Laccen layup in the final seconds made the score 59-52.

The Huskies closed within two with 5:43 to go. Sorensen and Mbemba combined to go on a 7-0 NIU run over 1:37, with Sorensen's second three of the game making the score 61-59. That three would be the Huskies' last field goal for over five minutes. Eastern Michigan went on an 11-1 run over 4:00 to take a 72-60 lead as Sisi Eleko and Ainhoa Cea scored eight of the 11 points.

NIU trailed 11-7 with 3:18 to go in the first when Sorensen sparked a 6-0 run with back-to-back layups to give the Huskies a 13-11 lead with 1:43 left. The Eagles made four straight free throws to take back the lead, 15-13, before Johnson knocked down a jumper with 0:04 left to tie the game at 15-15. The Eagles broke the tie with a 6-0 run at the start of the second, with four points from Eleko, to take a 21-15 lead. NIU closed within three at the 7:25 mark when Sorensen made the first three-pointer of the game to make the score 23-20. The Eagles led by as much as eight and took a five-point lead into halftime 35-30.

Eastern Michigan shot 48.1 percent from the field and was 18-for-20 from the free throw line. Eleko led all players with 25 points and 15 rebounds. Fernanda Ovalle added 14 points.

The Huskies are home for two games at the NIU Convocation Center next week, starting with the Education Day game against Miami on Wednesday, Jan. 28. Tip-off is at 11 a.m. CT. Tickets are on sale now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225).

—NIU—