NIU women’s basketball overtook the Appalachian State University Mountaineers on Saturday and left the MAC-SBC Challenge undefeated after securing a 75-62 victory.
With the win, the Huskies improve to 11-12 overall while the Mountaineers fall to 13-10.
“I think the players are starting to get a better feel from what we did before,” NIU women’s basketball head coach Lisa Carlsen said. “We knew that against App State, we had to get paint touches. We knew we had to share from there, and I thought we did a really good job of that.”
The Huskies faced the Mountaineers in the second part of the MAC-SBC Challenge, battling Appalachian State for the first time in program history. In the opening half of the MAC-SBC challenge, NIU defeated the University of Louisiana at Lafayette by a score of 57-55 on Nov. 4 in the Huskies’ home opener.
The Huskies’ victory was fueled by efficient ball movement, which created multiple open looks around the arc. NIU converted 48.1% of its three-point attempts while Appalachian State converted 31.8% of its three-point attempts.
NIU junior guard Alecia Doyle headlined the Huskies’ lineup, leading the pack in scoring with 22 points. Doyle also tacked on 6 rebounds and 1 assist while going 8/13 from the field.
“It’s just us being able to move the ball really well on offense,” Doyle said. “Driving in and getting into the paint and kicking out, it just allows the three-point shot to go in more. We have really great three-point shooters and people who can knock down the three, so when we move the ball, drive and kick, it allows us to knock those shots down.”
Redshirt senior guard Sidney McCrea was another driving factor for the Huskies, finishing tied for second on the team in scoring with 12 points. McCrea was a near perfect 4/6 from three against Appalachian State.
“I think we really had great ball movement,” McCrea said. “They (Appalachian State) were kind of in a matchup zone, and we were able to really attack, get to the paint and kick out for open threes.”
Although McCrea didn’t lead NIU in scoring, she consistently hit key three-pointers down the stretch, killing any momentum the Mountaineers seemed to generate.
Freshman guard Lexi Carlsen was another pivotal asset for the Huskies, also logging 4 three-pointers. Lexi Carlsen also tied for second on the team in scoring, posting 12 points.
The first quarter was back-and-forth. NIU posted 9 three-pointers to create a 23-14 lead going into the second quarter.
NIU maintained the lead in the second quarter, trading blows with the Mountaineers before entering the second half with a 39-30 lead.
The Mountaineers attacked the hoop promptly in the second half, garnering some momentum. The momentum was short lived, though, as McCrea drilled a pair of threes to help maintain the Huskies’ four-possession lead.
Lexi Carlsen then extended the Huskies’ lead to 50-38, logging her fourth three-pointer of the night.
The Huskies’ three-point clinic continued through the third quarter, driven by 3 three-pointers by McCrea. McCrea led NIU with 9 points in the third quarter, backed by 75% shooting from three.
Entering the fourth quarter down 57-45, the Mountaineers nearly rallied a comeback, trimming the Huskies’ lead to four midway through the fourth quarter. McCrea put an end to Appalachian State’s run with a three to give NIU an eight-point lead with four minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The Mountaineers resorted to fouling NIU with a minute and a half left in the game. The fouls allowed NIU graduate student guard Chelby Koker to secure the 75-62 victory with four consecutive free throws, paired with two by Doyle.
UP NEXT
The Huskies resume their conference play at 11 a.m. Saturday against the Western Michigan University Broncos in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
“Hopefully we can continue to understand, you know, where we need to get the ball before they can have success and then continue to play with confidence.” Lisa Carlsen said. “I think that’s (playing with confidence) the difference right now.”
Live streaming for the game will be provided by ESPN+, live stats will be available through StatBroadcast and listening will be aired by NIU All-Access.
