KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team cut a 17-point second half deficit down to two points but could not get any closer to the Western Michigan Broncos Saturday afternoon, falling 65-60 at University Arena.

"I was proud of our effort in the second half, and the third quarter in particular, to get back in the game," said head coach Jacey Brooks. "I just wish we didn't down as much as we did in the first half. We made some big shots, hit some threes, but every time we got within two Western made a big shot."

Maria Serracanta (Sabadell, Spain/Mercer) and Sa'Mahn Johnson (Columbus, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) led the Huskies with 14 points. Johnson was 3-for-4 from the three-point line and added a team-high three steals. Serracanta made 5-of-7 shots from the field and had five rebounds and four assists. Nadechka Laccen (San Juan, Puerto Rico/St. Bonaventure) also scored in double figures Saturday with 10 points.

"She's playing really good basketball," Brooks said about Serracanta."She's making the right plays, finding her teammates in the offense. I'm proud she was able to make some big three-pointers. She's a good shooter and I always want her to find her shot, but she's selfless and looks for her teammates first."

NIU (5-22, 2-13 MAC) trailed 32-18 at halftime after shooting 35.3 percent from the field with 14 turnovers. The Broncos took a 37-20 lead with 8:26 to go in the third when Emilie Sorensen (Waukee, Iowa/Waukee) sparked a 12-2 run with back-to-back baskets. A Johnson three capped the run and put the Huskies within seven, 39-32, with 3:38 to play in the quarter. After a D'Myjah Bolds layup put Western Michigan back up by nine, 41-32, NIU closed the quarter on a 9-3 run, with five points from Johnson, to close within three points at 44-41. The Huskies made 10-of-18 shots from the field in the quarter and held the Broncos to 5-for-13.

Western Michigan (8-17, 4-10 MAC) got an early three from Alli Carlson in the fourth to go up 47-41. The Huskies got within two with 8:17 to go as Serracanta and Nevaeh Wingate (Liverpool, N.Y./St. John's) scored on consecutive steals to make the score 47-45. Carlson responded with another three to start a 9-0 Broncos run that put Western Michigan ahead 56-45 with 6:07 to go. NIU made one last run at the 4:58 mark of the fourth. A Marta Hermoso (Seville, Spain/McNeese) layup sparked a 9-0 NIU run, capped off by a Serracanta three, to get NIU within two points once again at 59-57 with 3:41 to go. Carlson scored on back-to-back layups to give the Broncos a six-point edge, 63-57, with 2:35 to play and NIU only got as close as three the rest of the way.

The Huskies shot 45.3 percent from the field and outrebounded Western Michigan 36-30. Sorensen led all players with nine rebounds. Western Michigan shot 43.1 percent from the field and scored 20 points off 20 NIU turnovers. Carlson scored 17 of her game-high 22 points in the second half.

NIU is next in action on Saturday, Feb. 28, hosting Eastern Michigan at 1 p.m. in the first game of the Cram The Convo Doubleheader with the NIU men's basketball team. For tickets, log on to NIUHuskies.com/tickets or call the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225).


—NIU—