DeKALB – NIU women’s basketball (7-22, 4-13 MAC) snatched a late 56-53 comeback victory against the University at Buffalo Bulls (4-25, 1-16 MAC) on Wednesday, rallying in the third quarter to overcome a 10-point deficit.
In the first half, NIU failed to match Buffalo’s size in the paint, being outscored 18-8 and outrebounded 25-12. NIU slowed down the Bulls’ paint presence in the second half, ending 30-28 in the paint as junior forward Nevaeh Wingate erupted for 18 points.
Wingate led with a season-high 27 points on 9-of-13 from the field and 8-of-12 from the charity stripe, followed by freshman guard Emilie Sorensen and graduate student Nadechka Laccen with 10 each.
Wingate’s contribution on defense was key for NIU down the stretch, grabbing seven rebounds and four steals. Wingate credited her adjustments during the season on the defensive end.
“The beginning was very antsy, I was going for deflections and steals I didn’t need to,” Wingate said. “I had learned how to adjust to the referees as the season went on, not being lazy on defense or letting people duck in on me and getting lazy fouls.”
Senior guard Maria Serracanta continued her dominance in distributing the ball, leading with a game high 9 assists.
FIRST HALF
After Serracanta won the tip-off, NIU tried to establish the three-ball with Sorensen, who drained her long-range attempt to open the score.
Serracanta’s jumper made it 5-0, but the Bulls responded with a 6-0 run. The Huskies struggled to settle in the paint while Buffalo converted 5-of-6 from the free-throw line and collected 16 rebounds to NIU’s five, nine of which came from the offensive glass.
In the second quarter, NIU got into an offensive lull, shooting 2-of-9 from the field without a three made. Buffalo was ineffective from three but attacked the paint continuously with the bench picking up 11 points.
Buffalo converted from deep after a bad NIU pass, spurring a 12-2 Buffalo run towards the end of the half put NIU in a hole heading into the break, 30-20.
SECOND HALF
Laccen’s aggressive defense helped pick up steam as her and Wingate focused inside the paint, contributing to NIU’s 12 points in the area.
Buffalo hit a wall on offense towards the end of the period and NIU took advantage with a 10-2 run.
The final frame was a shootout as both sides traded scores. Buffalo was then able to string together solid possessions and looked to end a late rally before Wingate’s scoring helped to swing NIU’s momentum.
The Huskies took a slim two-point lead after an 8-0 run, leaving Buffalo with 10 seconds to steal the game back. The Bulls’ opted for a potential game winning three but the Huskies’ defensive shape forced a miss to close out the comeback win.
“Super proud of our resiliency and being able to come together in tough moments.” head coach Jacey Brooks said. “The game was a little bit of a roller coaster but we were able to make some adjustments at halftime. The defensive plays in the fourth quarter was the difference in the game.”
UP NEXT
The Huskies close out the season against Bowling Green University for NIU’s final game in the Mid-American Conference game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be updated on SIDEARM Sports.
“This game was almost like the epitome of our season, of staying the course and never giving up. They’ve only gotten better and will continue to get better,” Brooks said. “When we think about next year, I’m overly excited about next season and can’t wait for it. But we’re gonna continue to build this thing.”
