The Northern Illinois University women’s basketball team shot 57.1 percent from the field in the second half and outscored the Central Michigan Chippewas 42-22 on its way to a 70-57 win at the NIU Convocation Center on Saturday afternoon.

Redshirt-freshman forward Brooke Blumenfeld (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) led the Huskies with 18 points in her first career start, making 9-of-13 shots from the field. Brooke Stonebraker (Versailles, Ohio/Versailles) had 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for her third double-double in the last four games. Grace Hunter (Monroeville, Ind./Bellmont) was the third Huskie to score in double figures with 11 points.

“I think we’ve seen that Brooke [Blumenfeld] is a good offensive player, and she’s put in a lot of work up to get to this point,” said head coach Lisa Carlsen on NIU’s leading scorer Saturday. “I’m not surprised by her production. All the other facets of her game will continue to grow as she gets more and more minutes.”

NIU (9-8, 3-3 MAC) got off to a fast start, scoring the first seven points of the game on its way to an 11-2 lead at the 6:32 mark of the first. Hunter opened the game with a three and had five points in the run as Blumenfeld added four. Central Michigan closed within six with 2:11 to go when a Capria Brown three made the score 14-8. Brown had five points in the first quarter for the Chippewas, putting in a jumper in the final seconds to make the score 19-12.

Central Michigan (2-15, 1-5 MAC) used the momentum from Brown’s basket to go on a 17-4 run and take a 27-23 lead with 4:11 to go in the second quarter. Brown and Timpe combined for 12 of the 17 points as the Chippewas took their first lead of the game. A Rochelle Norris layup with 1:35 to go in the half gave Central Michigan its largest lead of the game, 33-24. NIU closed the gap to five on baskets from Blumenfeld and Jayden Marable (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) but a Taylor Anderson layup with 0:02 left gave CMU a 35-28 halftime lead.

The Chippewas led 40-32 with 8:22 remaining in the third when the Huskies came roaring back. Sparked by two Stonebraker baskets, NIU went on an 11-0 run over the next 2:34 to take a 43-40 lead. CMU scored the next seven points as a Brown triple put the Chippewas up 47-43 at the 4:20 mark of the third.

That would be Central Michigan’s last field goal of the quarter. The Huskies scored the last 10 points of the quarter, with six coming at the free throw line, to take a 53-47 lead going into the fourth. CMU only got as close as seven in the final quarter. NIU shot 57 percent from the field in the fourth and held the Chippewas to just 3-for-14 from the field to pull away for the 70-57 win.

“We had contributions from a lot of different players today, which is what we need to be successful.” Carlsen said. “Every night is a battle in the MAC, and on any given night you need different people to step up. I was proud of a lot of people in white jerseys today, as well as our response in the second half.”

The Huskies shot 44.3 percent from the field in the game and made 13-of-15 free throws. NIU outrebounded Central Michigan 42-32 and held the Chippewas to 36.7 percent from the field. Brown led all scorers with 20 points.

NIU goes on the road on Wednesday, Jan. 24 for a 6 p.m. CT time at defending Mid-American Conference champions Toledo.