Facing its second power-four program this season Saturday, NIU women’s basketball struggled in a 94-55 defeat against the University of Missouri Tigers.
Subpar shooting and a lack of size held the Huskies back in their biggest loss of the season. Furthermore, the 39-point defeat is the Huskies’ worst loss since falling to then-ranked No. 9 University of Notre Dame in November of 2022.
“We knew that their length was going to be a factor, and we had talked about trying to keep the ball out of the paint,” said NIU women’s basketball head coach Lisa Carlsen. “Once they got going from the arc, it made it really difficult for us to defend for sure.”
After traveling to Colombia, Missouri, the Huskies fall to 3-4 on the season while the Tigers improve to 9-3.
The Huskies finished the game shooting 23.5% from behind the arch, in comparison to the Tigers’ 50%. NIU was also outrebounded, losing the battle 37-27.
Behind Mizzou’s shooting success was sophomore guard Grace Slaughter, who finished the contest perfect from three-point range. Slaughter led all scorers with 20 points.
Redshirt sophomore forward Brooke Blumenfeld led NIU in scoring after coming off the bench. Blumenfeld logged 14 points while shooting nearly 60% from the field.
“I think that she (Blumenfeld) can, she can play with anybody,” said freshman guard Lexi Carlsen. “She showed that she can compete with them the biggest and the baddest, right? So I think it was great to see her perform well and be efficient.”
Starting her third-straight game, Lexi Carlsen reached a career-high 10 points. Assisting the team outside of scoring, Lexi also added 2 assists, 1 rebound and 1 steal.
“I think my teammates found me at the right times today,” said Lexi Carlsen. “So it was promising that my teammates are looking for me, they trust me to take those shots that I took today.”
Seven games into her collegiate career, Lexi Carlsen noted how she’s settled and is comfortable facing the harsh competitiveness of collegiate basketball.
“I could have told you I was comfortable in the first game,” Lexi Carlsen said. “I think that that’s something that, you know, not very many freshmen can say, but I’ve been built for this for forever and yes I’ve settled in, for sure.”
Another standout Huskie was junior guard Alecia Doyle. Despite playing through injury, Doyle still managed to log 12 points. Her impact stretched further than scoring, though, as Doyle also picked up 2 rebounds.
“Alecia (Doyle) is definitely someone that is super fun to play with,” Lexi Carlsen said. “She’s super special and unique, and I think that she brings a different, a different kind of depth to our roster. She’s explosive, athletic and she can create her own shot.”
The game was back-and-forth before Mizzou took an early 11-10 lead and held onto it for the remainder of the game. The Tigers proceeded to go on a 16-2 run leading into a 13-point advantage going into the second quarter.
Mizzou’s dominance continued throughout the second quarter, outscoring the Huskies 28-18 in the frame.
Inefficient three-point shooting sabotaged the Huskies in the first half. Compared to Mizzou shooting 47.1% from three, NIU finished the half making just 25% of its shots from downtown.
Missouri junior guard Ashton Judd led the field of scorers after halftime. Propelled by eight first-quarter points, Judd finished the half with 13 points while snagging 6 rebounds and picking up 1 steal.
Two Huskies shared NIU’s most first-half points as Blumenfeld and Lexi Carlsen each totaled 8.
Mizzou’s dominance bled into the second half, as the Tigers began to pull away with the game. Outscoring the Huskies 23-16 in the third quarter, Mizzou went into the final frame leading by over 30.
From there, NIU failed to make a dent in its deficit. The Tigers put the nail in the coffin after Mizzou graduate student point guard De’Myla Brown drilled the final blow and secured the 39-point blowout.
UP NEXT
The Huskies’ next game is at 1 p.m. Dec. 15 against Indiana State University in Lexington, Kentucky. The game will be aired through WDKB 94.9 and live stats will be provided by StatsBroadcast.
