Four Huskies scored in double figures and the defense allowed a season-low 43 points, as women’s basketball (8-10, 4-4 MAC) halted its two-game losing streak with a midweek win.

The Huskies avoided their second three-game losing streak of the season, as they defeated the Kent State Golden Flashes (3-16, 0-8 MAC), 65-43, Wednesday at the Convocation Center.

Amanda Corral (13), Ashley Sneed (12), Jenna Thorp (10) and Natecia Augusta (10) paved the way for NIU. Danny Pulliam and Ally Lehman each added nine points for the Huskies.

Leading 33-20 at the break, Lehman opened the second stanza with seven of the Huskies’ first 11 points on 3-4 shooting. NIU led by 17 points, 47-30, but an 8-0 Kent State run made it a 47-38 game with 9:39 to play.

The Huskies answered with a 9-0 run of their own, powered by six points from Corral, who put up 11 of her 13 points in the second half.

“The second half, I just tried to work on my mid-range game more, go [with] what I’m better at,” Corral said. “I kind of was denied in the first half a little bit, and that was fine with me because my teammates were getting open shots. I just took the open shot when I got it.”

NIU went up by 18 points, 56-38, with 4:39 to play, as Kent State went scoreless for five-plus minutes following its 8-0 run.

“I just thought our ball-screen [defense] was great,” said head coach Kathi Bennett. “And then I thought Jenna in the first half, she stopped their post from scoring. Second half, they got rolling a little bit, but Jenna really did a great job bringing the double, knowing when to double, high hands, digging; just made a huge difference for us on the defensive end.”

The Huskies, who shot 28.3 percent and 30.2 percent in their last two games, hit 48.1 percent (26-54) of their shots. They out-rebounded the Golden Flashes, 31-28, and had 15 assists on 26 made baskets.

“I think tonight I just tried to penetrate the gaps and then kick to the shooters,” Pulliam said. “[I] just looked to get them open a lot. We ran a lot of stuff to get [Amanda Corral] some shots. [She] got her legs under her and started hitting and knocking down shots. So, I think we did very good penetrating and kicking.”

NIU jumped out to a quick start, as the frontcourt of Augusta and Thorp accounted for the Huskies’ first 10 points. The Huskies kept up their defensive pressure for much of the first half, as they forced nine turnovers and out-rebounded Kent State, 16-14.

“[Natecia] played all 31 minutes, and all 31 were all-out,” Bennett said. “She’s getting in better, better shape. When she commands the ball inside, even when we get her the ball at the elbow because she can shoot the 15-footer, it helps us offensively. That’s one of the huge keys, offensively, to our success: when we have a complete inside-out game.”

Thorp (eight), Pulliam (seven) Augusta (six) and Sneed (six) paved the way for the NIU offense in the first half. A team effort on defense held the Golden Flashes to 20 first-half points, and NIU led, 33-20, at intermission.

Attempting to put together back-to-back wins for only the second time this season, the Huskies, who are now 4-4 in MAC play, will take on the Western Michigan Broncos at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Kalamazoo, Mich.

“The MAC … it’s up for grabs,” Bennett said. “I think we’re as good as any team in the league. It’s good to be in the mix. It feels good, and that competitive desire, you can feel it on our team, and we’re excited.”