With the Huskies down 56-52 with 4:40 to play, it was two key turnovers in the next minute that gift wrapped the game for Ball State 67-58.

The Huskies (9-11 overall, 5-4 MAC) lost for the first time in their last five games.

“We had 19 turnovers, and several of those were unforced turnovers,” NIU coach Carol Hammerle said. “We got it within three, and we had two turnovers [during] those next two possessions. That was huge, just huge. You can’t do that against a team like Ball State and come out on top.”

Despite a double-double by junior Jennifer Youngblood (16 points and 13 rebounds) and freshman Joi Scott (13 points and 10 rebounds), NIU was doomed by shooting 36.4 percent from the floor.

Junior forward Lindsay Secrest shot 3-of-15 from the field and was unable to find her three-point stroke, as she missed all five attempts. Senior guard Kristan Knake returned after missing two games due to a sprained left ankle and shot 3-of-12 from the field.

Ball State’s senior Tamara Bowie led all scorers with 20 points.

Sophomore guard Rachel Sillar, who got her third start of the season, brought energy to the Huskies right from the opening tip.

Sillar was able to corral the opening possession by diving full-body to tip the ball to guard Monique Davis. The sophomore guard scored six of her career-high eight points in the first five minutes of the game.

“I came out nervous and just wanted to play hard and play through it,” Sillar said. “As soon as I got that loose ball, I was fine; I felt better. I just tried to let the game come to me. Coach always says I need to look to score more, and I tried to do that.”

Sillar also set career-highs in rebounds with four and assists with four and tied her career-high of four steals.

NIU never held more than a three-point lead and never regained the lead, after losing it with 6:05 left in the first half when Ball State went on a 10-0 run capped off by a Jessica Reiter three pointer from the right wing.