Making the trip to face Arizona State on Monday, the NIU women’s basketball team was without its best two players for most of the game because of foul trouble, eventually falling 70-62.

As junior forward Jennifer Youngblood and senior guard Kristan Knake sat on the bench restricted by fouls, junior guard Stephanie Smith took it upon herself to help boost the NIU (1-1).

The 5-foot-11 Smith led all scorers with a career-high 20 points. Smith shot 7-for-11 from the floor and 4-for-6 from the three-point line.

“I’m really proud of my players,” coach Carol Hammerle said. “Under the circumstances they played one heck of a game.”

Arizona State (2-0) countered with four players in double figures. Kristen Kovesdy led the Sun Devils with 19 points and added 10 rebounds, Carrie Buckner added 14 and Jill Noe had 13.

When NIU held ASU from getting a field goal the last 6:36 of the game – the Sun Devils scored their final 11 points from the free-throw line – it pulled to within one point after going on a 5-0 run.

But the Red Devils’ pressure defense was too much for NIU to handle.

“It was just a struggle, we weren’t doing anything with a purpose, but we finally settled down and got some things done,” Hammerle said. Then the pressure got to us again in the second half.”

The Huskies get back into action next in the GranTree Inn Thanksgiving Classic at Montana State University on Friday and Saturday.