The Northern Illinois University women’s basketball team rallied from an 18-point deficit Sunday afternoon to defeat the Indiana State Sycamores 82-78 in the first game of the Eastern Kentucky MTE at the Clive M. Beck Center.

“That was a game that had a little bit of everything,” said head coach Lisa Carlsen following the Huskies’ come-from-behind victory. “There were a lot of possessions over the course of that game that we want back. At the end of the day, I was happy with the continued fight. We had players in situations they had not been in yet, playing extended minutes, different combinations on the floor. I was proud of everybody in pulling it out at the end.”

NIU (4-4) fell behind 33-15 with 6:48 to go in the second quarter after Indiana State’s Deja Jones scored the Sycamores’ first seven points of the period. The Huskies rattled off 11 straight points, starting with a Brooke Stonebraker (Versailles, Ohio/Versailles) layup, to get within seven 33-26 at the 4:37 mark. Freshman guard Lexi Carlsen (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) capped the run with a three-pointer, NIU’s first of the game. NIU cut the deficit to five, 36-31, with 2:07 left until halftime on a Brooke Blumenfeld (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) basket and a three by Sidney McCrea (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Prairie). The Sycamores’ Keslyn Secrist answered with a three of her won in the final minute to put Indiana State back up eight but Stonebraker made the final basket of the half to make the score 39-33.

Indiana State (2-7) scored the first nine points of the third quarter as part of a 13-2 run over the first 3:08 to take a 52-35 lead. NIU chipped away at the advantage with a 10-2 run over a stretch of 4:02 to get within eight. Alecia Doyle (Carterville, Ill./SEMO) scored the last five points of that run to make the score 56-48. The Huskies held Indiana State without a field goal for over three minutes but went the final 2:53 without a basket as the Sycamores extended their lead to 12, 60-48, going into the fourth.

After a Queen Ruffin triple put Indiana State ahead by 15, the Huskies found their stroke from the three-point arc. Carlsen, Doyle and Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) each made a three as part of a 14-4 run that got NIU within five 67-62 with 6:30 to go. Indiana State got the lead back up to six at the 4:46 mark on a Chloe Williams jumper but that was the Sycamores’ last advantage of the game.

Blumenfeld sparked a 10-0 run with a layup, followed by McCrea’s second three that got the Huskies’ within one 71-70 with 3:09 to go. NIU took its first lead of the game with 2:28 remaining when Carlsen threw a pass the length of the floor to an open Stonebraker for a layup that make the score 72-71. Almost a minute later Carlsen knocked down a three to put the Huskies up four, 75-71.

“Lexi gave us great minutes today,” Carlsen said. “She’s one of our best communicators we have on the team. The energy that she plays with is contagious and in a game like today where you’re not playing your best, you have to have that spirit and will to continue to battle in every possession”.

Indiana State got within a point twice in the final 30 seconds but the Huskies were able to lock up the win at the free throw line. Doyle and Koker went 5-for-6 at the free throw line to give NIU the 82-78 victory.

Stonebraker led all players with 20 points, tying a career-high. She also had a game-high 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Carlsen set career-highs with 16 points, five assists and four three-pointers while tying a career-high of five rebounds. Doyle and Koker each scored 14 points. Blumenfeld added 12 points as all five Huskie starters scored in double figures. She also had a career-high four assists.

The Huskies shot 71.4 percent in the fourth quarter to outscore Indiana State 34-18, going 6-for-7 from the three-point arc. NIU was 11-for-23 for the game from long range after starting 0-for-7. For the game NIU shot 49.2 percent from the field as Indiana State shot 40.8 percent. The Huskies also outrebounded the Sycamores 41-36. NIU had a season-high 22 assists on its 30 made baskets but also turned the ball over 22 times. Jones led Indiana State with 17 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

NIU takes on Eastern Kentucky Tuesday night at 5 p.m. CT in the final game of the Eastern Kentucky MTE.