It’s not often, but sometimes a block can change everything.

And for NIU forward Mary Basic, one key block set the tone for her and her teammates just when they needed it.

What started out as a mental breakdown for the Huskies turned into a top-notch performance for Basic.

With 1:10 left in the first half of Saturday’s game, the Huskies found themselves nursing a 34-29 lead. NIU was looking to extend that lead going into the half when Miami’s Stephanie Ford stole the ball from Jessie Wilcox.

Ford raced down the court for what looked like an easy lay up. But she never saw Basic behind her. Just as Ford went up for the shot, Basic leapt up from behind her to block the lay up.

That play not only stopped Miami from getting any momentum heading into halftime, but it also set the tone for how Basic would play throughout the game.

“The last couple of games my coaches have challenged me,” Basic said. “I haven’t been playing up to what I need to do. This is the kind of the time if you don’t do it then you have nothing left. I didn’t want to go home.”

That desire to not go home, combined with the energy she showed, gave NIU coach Carol Owens no choice but to keep Basic in from start to finish. The forward played all 40 minutes of the game.

“It was not an opportunity that I felt I had to take her out,” Owens said. “I knew she was a threat all the time. She had a lot of energy.”

Basic’s block wasn’t the only good thing she did in the Huskies win. The junior finished the game shooting 9-of-14 from the field and a career-high 25 points.

And as the game got close at the end, Basic was there with four clutch free throws to keep NIU in the lead for good.

“Mary has struggled the last couple of games, and I think she is the person that needed to step up,” Owens said. “She has the potential and she needs to show what she can do.”