DeKALB — NIU women’s basketball scored a season-high 71 points as it narrowly defeated Texas State University by a score of 71-69 in the second round of the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Conference Challenge.
Junior forward Nevaeh Wingate scored the game-winning shot, making a layup to put the Huskies up for good with 0.6 seconds remaining in the game.
“It’s nerve wracking because it’s the last shot,” Wingate said. “So, when coach drew up the play, I had to clarify on what I was going to do, and I made sure I executed it, and I made my layup.”
Wingate also finished the game tied for a team-leading 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting.
Wingate started the game scoring the first 10 points for NIU and went 4-for-4 and 1-for-1 from three to start Saturday’s action.
After getting outrebounded 42-17 in its last home matchup against Central Michigan, the Huskies were able to outrebound the Bobcats 31-26.
Coming into this game, Texas State averaged over 38 rebounds a game, which is eighth in the Sun Belt.
“It’s a big emphasis before every game,” said NIU women’s basketball head coach Jacey Brooks. “We’re not going to be bigger than any team we play, whether it’s in conference or not. So we talked about and reflected on that Central Michigan game, rebounding was the difference in the game. But if you told me we would’ve held Texas State to three second chance opportunities, I’m not sure I would have believed you.”
The Huskies were also able to outrebound Texas State on the offensive glass, securing 10 offensive rebounds and totaling 14 second-chance points.
Of NIU’s starting five, four finished Saturday’s contest with at least five rebounds, with Wingate leading the pack with six.
“It starts in practice,” Wingate said. “Coach always makes sure she holds us accountable for our rebounds. I have to make sure I go out and box out and get that rebound. I just have to be really strong. We knew we were going to have to be physical, so I had to do what I had to do in order to help my team win.”
The Huskies were also able to win the turnover battle, with Texas State committing 21 turnovers. Wingate, graduate guard Nadechka Laccen and freshman guard Sa’Mahn Johnson all finished with two steals.
Freshman guard Emilie Sorensen tied for the team lead in points with Wingate, scoring 21 points on 6-for-14 shooting from three.
Sorenson’s six made threes marked a career high, bringing her season total to 42 to lead the team.
Saturday was the third time this season that Sorenson has scored 20 or more points in a game, all of which came in games the Huskies won.
“I was really proud of her,” Brooks said. “She didn’t stop shooting, even if she missed two in a row, she kept her confidence. She just kept shooting. So, I’m just proud of her, that she kept her composure and kept that confidence.”
Senior guard Maria Serracanta had seven of the team’s 15 assists in Saturday’s win, her most in a game this season.
Serracanta’s final assist of the game was on Wingate’s game-winning shot in the fourth quarter.
The Mercer transfer’s 79 assists on the season are 39 more than anyone else on the team this season.
“She’s (Serracanta’s) key,” Brooks said. “She does a great job of distributing the basketball. She just knows where people are going to be. She’s familiar with every spot on offense, and she reads the defense. She doesn’t look to score a ton. There’s times where I tell her to look at the rim, but her thought is to always pass first. She made some big plays. At the end of the game, I knew I needed her to inbound the ball because she was going to make the right decision.”
UP NEXT
The Huskies’ next matchup will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Convocation Center to take on the University of Massachusetts Minutemen. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available via SIDEARM Sports.
