KENT, Ohio (Interstat) — In a game defined by its final, frantic seconds, the Kent State women’s basketball team escaped with a narrow 70-67 victory over Northern Illinois on Wednesday night at the Memorial Athletics Center, overcoming a determined effort from the visiting Huskies.

The Mid-American Conference contest, played before a crowd of 1,274, saw the Golden Flashes improve to 12-13 overall, while Northern Illinois fell to 5-21.

The decisive sequence unfolded in the closing ten seconds with Kent State clinging to a 68-67 lead. Northern Illinois, after a timeout, designed a play for leading scorer Sa’Mahn Johnson, but her potential go-ahead 3-point attempt was emphatically blocked by Kent State’s 5-foot-4 guard Dionna Gray with just three seconds remaining. The ball went out of bounds to Northern Illinois, granting them one final chance.

On the ensuing inbounds play, the Huskies again looked for a shot, but Gray was fouled with 0.9 seconds on the clock. The freshman from Huntington, West Virginia, calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to three points. Northern Illinois’s desperation heave from beyond half-court was not close as time expired.

The game’s climax capped a contest that was tightly contested throughout. Northern Illinois controlled the early stages, leveraging a 19-point first quarter to build a seven-point lead. The Huskies’ offensive efficiency, particularly from beyond the arc where they shot 7 of 17, and a perfect 18-for-21 performance from the free-throw line kept them in front for much of the night.

Kent State, however, methodically chipped away, using a 22-point third quarter to seize momentum and its first lead since the game’s opening minutes. The Golden Flashes dominated the interior, outscoring NIU 32-26 in the paint and securing nine offensive rebounds to the Huskies’ three, which led to critical second-chance opportunities.

Turnovers proved a pivotal factor. Northern Illinois committed 17 giveaways, which Kent State converted into 15 points. Conversely, Kent State’s 12 turnovers led to 22 points for the Huskies, highlighting Northern Illinois’s ability to capitalize on mistakes and stay within striking distance.

Individual performances underscored the tight margin. For Northern Illinois, guard Nadechka Laccen of San Juan, Puerto Rico, played 38 minutes and scored 16 points. She was joined in double figures by teammates Nevaeh Wingate of Liverpool, New York, and Sa’Mahn Johnson of Columbus, Ohio, who each contributed 17 points. Johnson added three assists.

Kent State’s victory was fueled by balanced scoring and defensive presence. Forward Riley Rismiller, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Coldwater, Ohio, posted 16 points and was a force on the glass. Guard Tatiana Thomas matched her with 16 points, but her impact was broader, adding three blocked shots and two assists. Forward Journey Hildebrand of Brunswick, Ohio, provided 14 points off the bench, and guard Mya Babbitt of Papillion, Nebraska, logged a team-high 39 minutes, scoring 10 points with two assists.

Despite being outshot from the field and from 3-point range, Kent State’s advantages in free-throw attempts (27-21), offensive rebounding, and a key defensive stop at the most critical juncture secured the win. The Golden Flashes finished with an offensive rating of 101.7 points per 100 possessions, edging out the Huskies’ mark of 94.4.

The victory keeps Kent State in the middle of the MAC standings as they look ahead to a road matchup against rival Akron on Saturday. Northern Illinois, meanwhile, will aim to rebound from the heart-breaking loss when they travel to face Western Michigan, also on Saturday.