Coming from behind and winning on the road last weekend was a good way to pick up the team.

The NIU women’s basketball team came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. In a 77-63 win over Buffalo (10-10 overall, 3-4 MAC), the Huskies led by as much as 20 points in the first half.

NIU (8-12, 4-3) went into the locker room at halftime with a 45-30 lead and never looked back.

“I was really proud of our young ladies tonight, with the energy they had, especially in the first half offensively,” NIU head coach Carol Owens said. “I think we were battle-tested today. I think our kids held their poise down the stretch.”

Guard Jessie Wilcox led the way for NIU with 22 points and six rebounds. The junior scored 15 points in the first half, hitting six of her seven field goals and shooting 3-for-3 from behind the three-point line.

“In the first half, they were killing us on the pick-and-roll,” Buffalo head coach Linda Hill-MacDonald said.

The Huskies shot 55 percent from the field during the first 20 minutes. The sharp shooting during the game’s first frame gave NIU the cushion it needed as Buffalo erased the large lead with a 13-4 run at the start of the second half.

Beginning the game with a bang has been huge for the Huskies, as they are now 7-0 when leading at halftime. In three of their four conference victories, NIU has played to a double-digit lead in the game’s first 20 minutes.

The Huskies have won four of their last five match-ups and are making a push toward the top of the MAC West standings. NIU is tied for third place in the conference.