DeKALB — A second half three-point barrage fueled NIU women’s basketball’s (4-14, 2-5 MAC) 64-56 win over Western Michigan University (5-12, 2-5 MAC), earning their second win of Mid-American Conference play.
The Huskies, who have shot 27% from three this season, shot 40% in Wednesday’s victory over the Broncos, going 6/11 in the second half.
“It was huge,” said NIU women’s basketball head coach Jacey Brooks. “I think they made some defensive mistakes where they left Emilie open, which I wouldn’t do if I was guarding her. Just being able to step in and knock down those shots, that stuff is contagious.”
Freshman guard Emilie Sorenson led the second half charge for the Huskies, scoring 15 of her career-high 22 points in the second.
Sorenson made half of the Huskies field goals from beyond the arc, shooting 3/4 from three and 6/8 from the field.
“I think what really changed for me was my three-point shooting, because I didn’t attempt any threes in the first half, which is my biggest strength,” Sorenson said. “So, I was thinking that I need to set myself up and have my teammates find me to be able to knock down threes, because three is worth more than two.”
Among NIU’s seven-man rotation, six scored at least 5 points. Graduate guard Nadechka Laccen pitched in 14 points, accounting for the second most on the team.
The Huskies shot 53% from the field in the opening half, and shot 42% from the field in the second half, totaling 47% for the game.
As a team this season, NIU has shot just 37% from the field, which ranks 11th among all MAC schools.
The two teams combined for 23 turnovers in the first half, with the Huskies committing 12.
The Huskies were able to limit their turnovers in the second half, committing just six compared to WMU’s seven. NIU entered Wednesday’s action averaging 17.9 turnovers per game, which is seventh most in the MAC.
“We talked about just staying locked in and trying to limit those turnovers,” Brooks said. “If they turned us over, they were going to have to work for it. We valued the ball more in the second half and I think that was the difference.”
NIU controlled the glass in Wednesday’s matchup, grabbing 36 rebounds for the game compared to the Broncos’ 23. The Huskies were also able to total 12 offensive rebounds to WMU’s 3.
“We had known that we’re typically not a great offensive rebounding team,” Brooks said. “But I knew that Western was not either, so I said we need to win that battle. And our goal for this game was 15 (offensive rebounds) because we wanted to create 15 second chance opportunities.”
The Huskies shot 14/25 (56%) from the charity stripe and were able to seal the game late with clutch free throws. Sorenson and Laccen shot a combined 8/11 from the line in the fourth quarter.
Junior forward Naveah Wingate, the Huskies’ leading scorer this season, scored just eight points but filled the stat sheet, totaling eight rebounds, a career-high seven assists and three steals.
“I was really happy with Navaeh (Wingate),” Brooks said. “I understand she only had eight points but she had eight rebounds, seven assists, and that is really impressive as a post player. She attracts so much attention, so I was happy that she was able to find the open man. That’s something that we’ve been working on.”
Senior forward Teresa Mbemba had the third most points in Wednesday’s contest, totaling nine points, eight of those coming in the first half.
Senior guard Maria Serracanta tied for the team high in rebounds with Wingate, hauling in eight rebounds in the action against the Broncos.
UP NEXT
The Huskies next game will be at noon Saturday against Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available via SIDEARM Sports.
