Excitement was in the air as the NIU women’s basketball team took on Ball State University, in part because Wednesday night’s game marked the end of the senior class’ home run.

Seniors Mickey Johnson, Mystique Adams, Kim Moore and Biljana Kovacevic all enjoyed playing time in their final game at Chick Evans Field House. Beforehand, NIU staged a presentation introducing each of the seniors along with their parents. The four were presented flowers and framed posters of themselves.

Johnson made the most out of her last home effort at NIU, compiling a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

“Mickey did awesome tonight,” said sophomore guard Kristan Knake. “All around she always does well and tonight she came through for us. If she didn’t play the way she did tonight, I think it would have been a different game.”

NIU defeated Ball State 82-74 in an upset over the second-place team in the Mid-American Conference West Division. The win was the biggest in coach Carol Hammerle’s NIU tenure, she said.

Adams added 4 points, 4 rebounds, a block and 2 steals. Although a senior, she is still eligible to play next season, as she redshirted last year with a torn ACL. She sat out the first half of this season, but has played in the last 17 games, posting an average of 2.4 points a game.

The Huskies showed emotion throughout the night. Before the game, team captains Knake and Kim Boeding came out to greet each of the seniors. With 1.7 seconds left, every Huskie player on the court was smiling — not only because of the win, but because they had sent off their seniors in style.

“This game wasn’t just important because it was senior night,” Johnson said. “It was important because of what it means to our team right now.”