Dealing with adversity is nothing new for the NIU women’s basketball team.

The Huskies took their latest bump in the road in stride and pulled out a 73-72 win over Bowling Green (9-9, 2-5 MAC) Saturday.

While the team played its second straight game without guard Kristan Knake (sprained ankle) and forward Kim Boeding (vertigo), it wasn’t until Jennifer Youngblood made good on a free-throw attempt with seven seconds left that the Huskies pulled out their second straight conference road win.

“This win is huge for our confidence,” coach Carol Hammerle said. “I always feel that when we have some adversity like we have, it’s going to make us a better team. The key is being able to win without Kim and Kristan. When we add them back to the mix, we’ll be a better team.”

The Huskies (9-10, 5-3 MAC) had gone through a season’s worth of problems before the year even started. Junior center Jessica Shattuck was removed from the team for off-the-court reasons while injuries to Elizabeth Strobel and Jamie Wilson forced Boeding, a guard, to move to the post. The Huskies have taken the recent injuries in stride, and won both games without Knake and Boeding.

“Obviously, we’re dealing with some adversity right now with our two seniors out,” Hammerle said.

Before Youngblood’s heroics, it was freshman Joi Scott who kept the Huskies close throughout. Scott registered a career-high 23 points and 11 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end.

“We always talk about how someone needs to step up, and Joi Scott is really doing that for us,” Hammerle said. “The best thing is that each game, she’s getting better and better.”

Youngblood, who finished with 21 points, wouldn’t have gotten her chance if the Huskies hadn’t grabbed two offensive rebounds on the last possession. After the two rebounds, Youngblood was able to convert a three footer and draw a foul before making the decisive free-throw.

Monique Davis and Lindsay Secrest also chipped in with 10 points each for the Huskies.

“I think the last possession was just a case of us refusing to lose,” Hammerle said. “We were persistent, worked hard at it, and were fortunate to be on the winning end. The shots went up and we just stayed after the rebound and kept working. Then, Jennifer got the basket and free-throw to put us ahead and we made a defensive stop at the end to pull off the victory.”