KENT, Ohio - The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team led for most of Wednesday night's game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at the M.A.C. Center, but the hosts scored five of the last six points in the final 1:18 to come away with a 70-67 win.

"We were good for 38 minutes tonight," said head coach Jacey Brooks following the game. "There was a two-minute stretch where they beat us in transition and got some points. I was really proud of our effort. There were just a couple of plays that could have gone our way. With a young group we're right there and that's all I can ask of them."

Nevaeh Wingate (Liverpool, N.Y./St. John's) and Sa'Mahn Johnson (Columbus, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) both led all scorers in the game with 17 points. Wingate was 6-for-6 from the free throw line and had a team-high five rebounds. Johnson was 7-for-8 from the foul line and was two points shy of her season-high of 19. Nadechka Laccen (San Juan, Puerto Rico/St. Bonaventure) added 16 points, five rebounds, and two steals, going 3-for-5 from long range.

NIU (5-21, 2-12 MAC) trailed 8-6 early in the first when a Wingate layup sparked a 9-0 run over 1:55 that put the Huskies up 15-8 with 3:15 left in the quarter. The Huskies lead grew to nine after back-to-back baskets from Wingate and Maria Serracanta (Sabadell, Spain/Mercer) made the score 19-11 with 1:52 to play in the first. The Huskies were 3-for-4 from the three-point arc in the opening quarter and shot 61.5 percent from the field.

Kent State (12-13, 6-7 MAC) cut the NIU lead to three with 5:43 to go in the second when a Dionna Gray three-point play made the score 24-21. NIU then scored the next six points, four coming on Johnson free throws, to go up by nine 30-21 at the 3:47 mark. The Huskies took their largest lead of the first half with 2:17 to go when a Laccen layup put NIU ahead by 10, 34-24. A Mya Babbitt three cut the halftime deficit down to seven, 36-29.

Three-pointers from Laccen and Johnson bookended a 10-2 run in the third quarter for NIU as the Huskies took their largest lead of the game, 46-35, with 5:03 remaining. Kent State responded with an 8-0 run over the next 1:57 to close within three, 46-43 at the 3:06 mark. NIU did get up by eight again but a Riley Rismiller jumper and a Corynne Hauser buzzer-beating three got Kent State within three, 54-51, going to the fourth.

Marta Hermoso (Seville, Spain/McNeese) put in a jumper with 8:38 to go in the game to put NIU up five, 56-51. That was the Huskies' last field goal for over four minutes. Sparked by seven straight points from Tatiana Thomas the Golden Flashes went on an 11-0 run over 4:03 to take a 62-56 lead. The Huskies made one last run to take back the lead. NIU went on a 10-3 run in under three minutes to go up 66-65 with 1:37 to play. Johnson had five points in the run including a three to tie the game at 63 and Wingate's layup put the Huskies in front. Kent State went 5-for-6 from the free throw line in the last 1:18 to take a 70-67 lead.  NIU had two chances in the final five seconds to tie the game but couldn't get a three to fall.

NIU shot 44.7 percent from the field and shot 85.7 percent from the free throw line. Kent State shot 43.4 percent for the game was 20-for-27 from the foul line. The Huskies had 14 assists on 21 made field goals. Rismiller led Kent State with 16 points as Thomas added 15 points and a game-high seven rebounds.

The Huskies go back on the road on Saturday, Feb. 21 to face the Western Michigan Broncos. Tip-off at University Arena is set for 12 p.m. CT.

—NIU—