CMU women’s basketball falls short to NIU in double-overtime thriller
With 2:34 seconds remaining in regulation, freshman guard Bridget Utberg nailed a free throw on an and-one to give Central Michigan women’s basketball its first lead of the day, 64-63 after at one point trailing by 14 in the second quarter to Northern Illinois.
However, a pair of free throws from NIU with less than a minute remaining sent the game into overtime. Following a back and forth first overtime, NIU outscored the Chippewas 11-7 in the second overtime to hold on to the 84-80 win on Saturday and left CMU still looking for its first road victory of the season.
“I was really proud of the fight,” head coach Heather Oesterle said. “I was proud of our second half performance … I thought we made some big shots, but still again, like the fouls between the amount of free throws they shot and the rebounds, that was the difference in the game.”
Near the end of the fourth quarter, junior center Rochelle Norris and freshman guard Taylor Anderson both fouled out, causing CMU to lose two of its five starters for the remainder of the game. Fouls were an issue for the Chippewas as the Huskies secured 28 points on 37 attempts at the free throw line.
“The fouls (were) huge, I mean at the end of the game, I would have got the ball to Rochelle (Norris), Oesterle said. "You know, she needs to be in the game. ... Taylor (Anderson), she's so scrappy, that sometimes, you know, she's gonna get a foul here or there but just being disciplined … especially when they're in the bonus.”
NIU had the edge in rebounding as they out rebounded CMU 51-35 in the matchup. The Huskies had 11 offensive rebounds leading to 21 second chance points.
Freshman guard Sydney Harris led in scoring in the game with a career-high 31 points with five rebounds and three steals.
“She wants those shots in crucial games,” Oesterle said. “We ran a lot of stuff for her. You know, she was playing in front of a lot of family and friends … She wants the big shot, and she nailed a couple today.”
After falling behind 7-2 to start the first quarter, Harris got the Chippewas going with five-straight points to tie it at seven. However, the Huskies shot right back with a 11-4 run to take a 18-11 lead into the second quarter.
NIU continued to extend its lead in the second quarter as it went on an 8-2 run to take a double-digit lead, 33-19 at the halfway point. The Chippewas found some momentum when Utberg as she hit a three-pointer to start a 5-0 run to get within nine, 37-28. CMU went into halftime down 39-28.
Utberg had 19 points in the loss along with seven assists.
Harris put the team on her back to begin the second half, producing eight-straight points to cut the deficit to five, 43-38. Following a five-point run from NIU, the Chippewas ended the third quarter with a 9-4 run following a three-pointer from Gordon to go into the fourth down 52-47.
To open up the fourth, a layup from Harris put CMU within three of the Huskies. NIU went on a 7-0 run to take its lead back up to 10, 59-49. However, the Chippewas weren’t done yet as they secured three-straight baskets to make it a two-possession game, 59-55.
With the Huskies up 61-55, Utberg produced eight-straight points for CMU on an 8-2 run to give the Chippewas their first lead of the game, 64-63 with 2:34 remaining in regulation. With under a minute to play, NIU hit two free throws to tie that game at 67 and send it to overtime.
After trading field goals to open overtime, the Chippewas went on a 4-0 run to take the 73-71 lead. With the game tied at 73 with 11 seconds to go, the Huskies had a chance to take the lead but missed to send the game to a second OT.
Down 80-77, Harris delivered with a three-pointer to tie the game at 80. With 31 seconds remaining, NIU hit a layup off of an offensive rebound to give it the 82-80 edge. Following a miss on the other end, the Huskies hit two free throws to seal the win.
The Chippewas will have one final opportunity to secure a road win as they travel to Kalamazoo to take on rivals, Western Michigan on Wednesday at 7 p.m. for their final away game of the season.
