NIU Women’s basketball (1-4) made a visit to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars (3-2 )on Friday and after a stellar defensive display, the Huskies picked up their first win. Graduate student guard Nadechka Laccen and junior forward Nevaeh Wingate combined for 30 points for the 49-30 result in favor of the Huskies.
“I’m super proud of their performance,” said NIU women’s basketball head coach Jacey Brooks. “They’ve stayed the course and I’m happy they get to celebrate with a win.”
The Huskies defense shined as they limited the Cougars offense to 10/51, 19.6% from the field and 3/20, 15% from three.
“Your defense is a must because there’s going to be nights where your offense doesn’t flow,” Brooks added.
Despite the double-digit win, the Cougars offense overwhelmed NIU in the first quarter for a quick 7-0 lead, shooting 50% from the field and 42.9% from deep. Besides Laccen, who scored all seven points for the Huskies, the offense struggled to find rhythm as the Cougars closed out a 17-7 start.
“After the timeout from coach, we had to be more disciplined and play differently,” Laccen said.
The second quarter saw a complete turnaround with the Cougars’ offense completely fizzling out as the Huskies defense forced turnovers. SIUE didn’t score a single field goal while NIU chipped away at the lead. A clutch three point made by Wingate secured the tie heading into the half; closing out a 12-2 run to tie the game 19-19.
NIU rode this momentum in the second half as the Cougars relied on defense to slow down the Huskies attack. SIUE’s defensive strategy was enough to contain Laccen to zero points but freshmen guard Sa’Mahn Johnson had 5 points off the bench to keep the offense going.
“She got her offense going because she was able to defend,” Brooks said.
SIUE’s shooting woes continued, going 15.4% from the field and 0-5 from deep as the Huskies offense did just enough to pull away with the lead in the third.
With the NIU in the drivers seat, it was smooth sailing as the offense started clicking. Johnson, Laccen and Wingate scored all 20 points with efficient splits, 50% from the field and 33% from deep in the final quarter.
NIU dominated points in the paint 22-10 while holding SIUE to six points in the fourth to secure the Huskies comeback victory, ending a four game losing streak for the first win of the season.
Despite the sluggish shooting night from the field, shooting 16/55, NIU’s three point shooting got hot when needed. The defense bullied the Cougars all night, with 12 rebounds from Wingate and five from senior guard Maria Serrancanta.
“We were able to put three and a half quarters together,” Brooks said. “I’d want those first five minutes back, but it got us locked in.”
The Huskies return to action at 6 p.m. Monday at the Convocation Center to host Chicago State University. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available on SIDEARM Sports.
