Daily Chronicle sports roundup for Saturday, February 25, 2023

Once again playing without top scorers Keshawn Williams and David Coit, the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team held off Central Michigan 84-80 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, on Saturday, ensuring a trip to the MAC tournament next month in Cleveland.

Zarique Nutter and Kaleb Thornton each scored 21 points to lead the Huskies. Darweshi Hunter added 14 points, while Anthony Crump and Harvin Ibarguen both chipped in 11 points.

NIU built a 19-point lead late in the first half. Central Michigan trimmed it to as little as four twice, but the Huskies were able to hold off the Chippewas (10-19, 5-11).

“Our objective was to get to Cleveland, to give ourselves an opportunity to cut down nets, but you have to get to Cleveland first before you can do that,” said NIU head coach Rashon Burno.

The Huskies (12-17, 8-8) will return home for the final two games of the regular season as NIU hosts Buffalo on Tuesday and Eastern Michigan on Friday

Women’s basketball

NIU 84, Central Michigan 80 (2 OT): The Huskies (15-12, 7-9) picked up a key home win to increase their odds of qualifying for the MAC tournament.

A’Jah Davis had 20 points, 19 rebounds and season-high six assists. It was her 50th career double-double, tying the school record.

Emily Meinert added 14 points, and Jayden Marable scored a team-high 23.

“I think that’s what you expect from late-season basketball,” said head coach Lisa Carlsen. “Everybody’s fighting for similar things. I was proud of our continued resiliency during some tough times. We have a few possessions that we would like to have back, but I thought we did a good job of staying the course.”

NIU led by 10 with 7:59 left, but the Chippewas (6-21, 4-12) forced the extra period. NIU tied things up with 0:39 left in the first overtime on a Meinert bucket. With the game tied at 80 in the second overtime, Davis hit a putback layup with 0:31 left to give the team the lead for good.

The win leaves the Huskies in a tie for fifth place in the MAC, one game ahead of three teams with 6-10 conference records and two games remaining. NIU hosts Eastern Michigan (14-13, 6-10) Wednesday and heads to Kent State (19-8, 11-5) on Saturday.

Girls wrestling

IHSA State Tournament: Kaneland’s Brooklyn Sheaffer took sixth in the state, losing on a pin in the final 11 seconds of her fifth-place match to Hoffman Estates’ Sophia Ball at 120.

Shaeffer earned a guaranteed medal with a sudden-death takedown of Lane’s Nyah Lovis in the third consolation round, or blood round. She won 4-2, then lost 9-2 in a consolation semifinal to Bowen’s Monica Griffin.

Sheaffer finished the year 35-12.

DeKalb’s Alex Gregorio Perez did not medal, losing a heartbreaker in the blood round to Reed-Custer’s Judith Gamboa. She led 9-4 after two periods but lost 13-9, ending her season at 16-8 and finishing a win short of becoming the program’s first medalist.