The Northern Illinois University women’s basketball team lost 65-47 to the Western Michigan Broncos on Wednesday afternoon on Education Day at the NIU Convocation Center. Over 1,400 elementary school students from the DeKalb area packed the Convocation Center to see the Huskies face the Broncos.

The Huskies shot 34 percent from the field, but were held to 1-for-15 from the three-point line. Western Michigan shot 35.6 percent from the floor and was 17-for-27 from the free throw line.

NIU (11-12, 4-7 MAC) and Western Michigan traded baskets to start the game, with the Broncos taking a 10-8 lead on a De’Ahna Richardson layup with 2:01 left in the first quarter. Sparked by a Jayden Marable (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) basket, the Huskies went on a 7-0 run to close the quarter as a Tara Stauffacher (Columbus, Wis./Wisconsin) three put NIU up 15-10.

Western Michigan (10-12, 5-6 MAC) opened the second quarter on a 10-0 run, highlighted by five points from Kaitlyn Zarycki, to take a 20-15 lead with 4:27 remaining until halftime. The Broncos led by as much as seven points when a Zarycki layup made the score 25-18 with 1:21 left in the quarter. NIU got within two at the break, scoring the last five points on a Brooke Stonebraker (Versailles, Ohio/Versailles) and free throws from Laura Nickel (Marshall, Wis./Marshall) and Grace Hunter (Monroeville, Ind./Monroeville) to put the score at 25-23. Stonebraker had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.

The Broncos went up by nine with 4:31 to go in the third quarter, when a pair of Zarycki free throws made the score 36-27. NIU shot 25 percent from the field in the third quarter, and 0-for-5 from long range, as Western Michigan grew its lead to 14, 43-29 with 1:14 left in the quarter. Brooke Blumenfeld (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) got the Huskies within 12 in the final minute of the third, 43-31. That was as close as NIU would get. Western Michigan led by as much as 19 in the final quarter before finishing with the 65-47 win.

“It was a tough one for us, especially offensively,” head coach Lisa Carlsen said. “As well as we had been playing on that side of the ball, we really struggled to put the ball in the basket today. You’ve got to give Western credit, they were really disruptive. We got shots that I would want, but the ball’s got to go in the basket.”

Stonebraker recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. She has had double-digit rebounds in each of the last three games. Marable finished with 11 points. Zarycki led all scorers with 26 points.

“The second half (of conference play) to Cleveland will be a great run,” Carlsen said. “We have some things to work on but every day is a new challenge. We will get back at it tomorrow and see if we can’t have a better result on Saturday.”

The Huskies go on the road Saturday, Feb. 18 to take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles. Tip-off is at 12 p.m. CT.