The Northern Illinois University women’s basketball team held an opponent under 70 points for the first time this season but could not make up for a cold-shooting second quarter in a 68-50 loss to the Western Illinois Leathernecks at the NIU Convocation Center Tuesday night.

“I do believe the final score doesn’t show how close that game was,” said head coach Jacey Brooks. “Western Illinois is a very solid, veteran team. They returned all five of their starters from a year ago and that showed compared to how young we are.”

Freshman guard Emilie Sorensen (Waukee, Iowa/Waukee) led NIU with a season-high 17 points. She also had four rebounds, two assists and a steal.

“What worked for me was getting to the basket,” said Sorensen. “I got a lot of open shots out of our offense. My teammates working to get me open really helped me get good shots that I knocked down.”

“Emilie played all but 15 seconds for us tonight,” Brooks added. “She’s been a steady-eddie on the floor as a true freshman on both ends. I’m thankful for what she brings to our team every day.”

Sorensen made the first basket of the game at the 6:55 mark of the first quarter, laying in a Marta Hermoso (Seville, Spain/McNeese) pass to tie the game 3-3. She then had a steal that led to a Reagan Barkema (Story City, Iowa/Bradley) three-pointer that gave NIU the lead 11 seconds later. The two teams traded baskets throughout the quarter as a Maria Serracanta (Sabadell, Spain/Mercer) layin put the Huskies up 12-10 with 1:25 left in the first, a lead that held to the end of the quarter.

NIU (0-3) extended its lead early in the second when a Sorensen three-point play made the score 15-12. Western Illinois came back with an 11-0 run over 3:44, taking a 23-15 lead with 5:28 to play on an Allie Meadows three-pointer. The Leathernecks led 27-17 with 1:00 to play until halftime before Sorensen knocked down two free throws to make the halftime score 27-19. The Huskies shot just 25 percent from the field in the quarter while Western Illinois shot 42.9 percent and was 2-for-2 from long range.

Western Illinois (2-0) extended its halftime lead to nine 90 seconds into the third on baskets from Mia Nicastro and Kaylen Reed, making the score 31-22. Sorensen made her second three of the third quarter at the 8:07 mark to get NIU within six 31-25. The Huskies got as close as five with 4:42 to play in the quarter when Nevaeh Wingate (Liverpool, N.Y./St. John’s) split two free throws to cap a stretch of five straight Huskies points to put the score at 36-31. Nicastro then scored six straight points for the Leathernecks to extend the lead back up to 11, 42-31, with 3:28 left in the third.

NIU got as close as five points three more times, the last coming early in the fourth when a Wingate jumper made the score 44-39. The Huskies got within seven with 3:02 to go on a Wingate layup from Sorensen that put the score at 57-50, but those would be NIU’s last points of the game. Western Illinois closed the game on an 11-0 run to finish with a 68-50 win.

The Huskies shot 41.3 percent from the field but were 3-for-19 from the three-point line. Western Illinois shot 45.3 percent and outrebounded NIU 40-25. Nicastro led all players with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Addie Brownfield added 13 points, nine rebounds and a game-high four assists.

“It’s a process,” Brooks said. “We just have to get better with each and every opportunity. It’s a quick turnaround and we have to be smart tomorrow and get the proper recovery for the second game in 48 hours.”

NIU heads to UIC on Thursday night for a 7 p.m. matchup at Credit Union 1 Arena. It’s the Huskies first game at UIC since 2014.

Full Box Score