DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team led the whole way on Saturday in a 70-61 win over the Eastern Michigan Eagles at the NIU Convocation Center for Cram The Convo.
 
"I'm really proud of our effort for 40 minutes today," said head coach Jacey Brooks. "We talked about setting the tone in the first five minutes and we did that. It's the most complete game we've played this year which is encouraging. It's the end of February and that's when you want to play your best basketball."
 
NIU (6-22, 3-13 MAC) had four players score in double figures Saturday, led by Nevaeh Wingate's (Liverpool, N.Y./St. John's) game-high 21 points. Maria Serracanta (Sabadell, Spain/Mercer) became the first Huskie since Dec. 4, 2021 to have a points and assists double-double. The senior had 12 points and a career-high 11 assists, going 5-for-5 from the field.
 
"I was finding my teammates open in the first half, and once they took that away I was more aggressive offensively," Serracanta said after her first career double-double. "The coaches have all the confidence in me so I just go out there and play."
 
Emilie Sorensen (Waukee, Iowa/Waukee) made three three-pointers on her way to 15 points. She also pulled down a team-high six rebounds. Sa'Mahn Johnson (Columbus, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) had 10 points, scoring in double figures for the third straight game.
 
The Huskies opened the game on a 10-4 run in the first 2:37, getting three-pointers from Sorensen and Nadechka Laccen (San Juan, Puerto Rico/St. Bonaventure). The lead grew to nine at the 4:38 mark of the first quarter after threes from Wingate and Serracanta put NIU ahead 18-9. Sisi Eleko led Eastern Michigan's charge back in the game, scoring the first six points in an 8-0 run that made the score 18-17 with 2:39 to go in the quarter.
 
NIU scored the final five points of the first quarter to take a 23-17 lead, then got back-to-back threes from Sorensen to start the second and go up 29-17. The Huskies took their largest lead of the game at the 5:03 to go in the first half when a Laccen three-pointer and Wingate layup made the score 34-19. NIU led 41-28 at the half, going 9-for-15 from the three-point line and shooting 48.3 percent from the floor.
 
"Our three-point looks were open," said Brooks about NIU's long range shooting in the first half. "We were able to get some dribble penetration. We knew they were going to collapse on them, and we were able to find the open shooter. That showed with our 18 assists today."
 
Eastern Michigan (12-15, 5-11 MAC) held NIU to 2-for-12 from the field in the third quarter, getting within four at 49-45 going into the fourth quarter. NIU got the lead back up to 10 in the final period, scoring the first six points in 2:40 to go up 55-45 on baskets from Serracanta, Sorensen and Cyra Conwell (Chicago, Ill./Butler College Prep). The Eagles responded with a 7-1 run over the next 1:42 as an Eleko three-point play got EMU within four at 56-52 with 5:41 to go. Serracanta scored seven of NIU's next nine points to give NIU a 65-54 lead with under four minutes to go. Eastern Michigan only got as close as six points the rest of the way.
 
NIU shot 45.3 percent from the field and was 13-for-16 from the free throw line. The Huskies had a season-high 18 assists on its 24 field goals. Eastern Michigan outrebounded NIU 42-28 but turned the ball over 19 times which led to 20 Huskies points. Eleko led the Eagles with 20 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
The Huskies host Buffalo on Wednesday, March 4 at 6 p.m. for the final home game of the regular season. The Huskies will honor the five seniors on the team – Teresa Mbemba, Nadechka Laccen, Maria Serracanta, Marta Hermoso and Reagan Barkema – for Senior Night.
 
--NIU--