DeKALB – NIU women’s basketball (13-13, 6-8 MAC) drops 82-73 shootout as the Bowling Green State University Falcons (14-11, 8-6 MAC) soared on the back of junior guard Amy Velasco.
Velasco was a powerhouse on both sides of the ball, accumulating career-highs in points with 32 and steals with six. Velesco scored 15 points in the fourth quarter.
The 5-foot-7-inch guard shot 10-for-19 from the field, 4-for-9 from three and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
“I don’t think we did a great job on ball on her (Velasco), but I also think there were times where we missed out on gaps,” said redshirt junior guard Sidney McCrea. “I think there were times that we kind of left each other on islands and didn’t communicate.”
RAINING BUCKETS
Two other Falcons provided additional offensive sparks as Bowling Green reached 50% shooting against the Huskies for the second time this season.
“I don’t know that it was necessarily what they (Falcons) were running from a structure standpoint,” said NIU women’s basketball head coach Lisa Carlsen. “Their aggressiveness downhill is different than a lot of other teams that we’ve played, and they did a great job finishing as well.”
Freshman guard Paige Kohler of the Falcons scored 17 points and recorded a career-high seven assists.
Fifth-year guard Morgan Sharps rounded out the Falcons’ three-headed offensive monster with a 15-point outing.
UNUSUAL LOSS
The Huskies put up their highest regulation score of MAC play Saturday, shooting 45.6% from the field.
Saturday’s game was the second loss of the season in which the Huskies scored 65 points or more. The first such defeat came Dec. 3 against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
A win over Bowling Green would have flipped their positions in the MAC standings, earning the Huskies fifth place.
A win from Western Michigan University leaves the Huskies at seventh place in the MAC with four games remaining.
UP NEXT
The Huskies return 6 p.m. Wednesday to face the MAC’s first-place team, the University of Toledo Rockets, at the Convocation Center. Live streaming will be available on ESPN+ and live stats will be found on SIDEARM Stats.
