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NIU Women's Basketball Team Defeated by Western Michigan, 75-51

Huskies fall to 1-3 in conference play.



Whitney Lowe led the Huskies in scoring with 14 points.

Jan. 19, 2008

Final Stats

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KALAMAZOO, Mich.- The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team lost to Western Michigan Saturday afternoon, 75-51.

"We didn't come out as aggressive as we had planned to," NIU head coach Carol Owens said. "We had been playing well the last two games. We didn't make shots early on and I think that affected us mentally."

"I don't know if it's the struggle of playing on the road and how tough it is to be on the road, but we've got to find a way to get together and fight when you're on the road. I think a little bit of that is youth. We're dependent on our freshmen and sophomores to step up."

The Huskies played a solid first half, shooting 50 percent from the field in the half. After falling behind early, NIU responded with a 6-0 midway through the first period to take an 18-13 lead with 9:59 left to play in the half. Western Michigan went on an 8-0 run to take a 21-18 lead with 6:34 left in the half. The Broncos would never trail. They went into the break with a 40-28 advantage

The Huskies (5-12, 1-3) struggled offensively in the second half. NIU shot 27 percent from the field in the final frame. Western Michigan (6-12, 3-1) took advantage of the Huskies poor shooting, opening up the second half with an 8-0 run to take a 47-28 lead with 16:43 left to play. The Broncos would lead by as many as 26, 70-44.

Four of the five Bronco starters finished in double figures. WMU's Ebony Cleary led the way with a game-high 17 points. Whitney Lowe (Bushnell, Ill./Prairie City) was the leading scorer for the Huskies with 14 points. Jessie Wilcox (Oshkosh, Wis./West) also finished in double digits, adding 12 points.

The Huskies were outrebounded, 34-25. Foul trouble also plagued Northern. Western Michigan went to the charity stripe 33 times, cashing in on 26 of those visits. The Huskies went 8-10 from the free throw line.

The Huskies will be back in action Wednesday Jan. 23, 2008 when the Huskies welcome Toledo. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center. Fans can follow all the action with Bill Baker on 1360 AM WLBK.