NIU men, women drop MAC games Saturday

Women’s basketball

Akron 61, NIU 59: At DeKalb, the Huskies had two chances to win on the last possession of the game but neither shot fell.

Grace Hunter missed the first 3-point attempt, but Laura Nickel grabbed the rebound and kicked it out to Jayden Marable, but the shot rimmed out. Nickel got another offensive board but her putback also rimmed out as time expired.

“Even on the last play, to have the effort that we had and the opportunities that we had, I couldn’t necessarily ask for anything else from them in that moment,” coach Lisa Carlsen said about the Huskies’ final possession.

Brooke Stonebreaker had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Huskies (9-10, 3-5).

Men’s basketball

Ball State 81, Muncie 71: At Muncie, David Coit scored 25 but the Huskies fell for the ninth straight time and 12th straight time against an NCAA Division I opponent.

Zarique Nutter added 20 for the Huskies (6-13, 0-7), who trailed by as much as 20 but cut it to six late. Nutter and Coit played all 40 minutes.

“The effort was good, for the most part,” said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. “The second half has been our issue all year and that didn’t show up (today), but the last three minutes of the first half put us down by 13 (at halftime). We are undermanned, particularly at the guard spot, but these kids fought, now we just have to execute. We have to regroup and hopefully get (players) back before we go to Central (Michigan).”