Buffalo was held to 15 first-half points in Monday’s NIU women’s basketball game, one point shy of the record for fewest points scored in a half at the Convocation Center.

NIU held the Bulls scoreless for the final 6:25 of the first half, in which Buffalo shot 28 percent from the field. NIU coach Carol Hammerle said two key strengths lifted the Huskies defense: rebounds and quickness.

Jennifer Youngblood and Joi Scott provided the rebounds, with 11 and 10 respectively. NIU outrebounded the Bulls 39-26 on the night.

“Scott was cleaning the glass tonight,” Hammerle said. “She really did great on the boards. I was pleased with her effort. She really dominated the offensive glass and made her presence felt. If she wasn’t rebounding, she was scoring points.”

Both Scott and Youngblood also had double-doubles, with Scott scoring 13 and Youngblood scoring 12.

“Jennifer and Joi are tough to handle,” Buffalo coach Cheryl Dozier said. “Jen is a kid that lets the game come to her; she never forces it. She’s a phenomenal kid.”

The Huskies relied on quickness to tire out a Buffalo team that had only eight players. Guards Stephanie Raymond and Rachel Sillar led by pressing the ball up the floor, Hammerle said.

“Raymond sees the floor so well,” Hammerle said. “We’re so quick with Stephanie at one and Rachel at two. It’s fun with this group. We haven’t had all these players to rotate in the past.”

The Huskies, who lead the MAC in field-goal defense, held Buffalo to 31.5 percent from the field and 17.6 percent from behind the three-point arc.

“All season long, we’ve been doing a good job of holding other teams field goals,” Hammerle said. “That’s something our defense has done well, and they did it again tonight.”