Emilie Sorensen Delivers Season-High 17 Points as NIU Falls to Purdue Fort Wayne
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The NIU women’s basketball team extended its losing streak to four games, finishing with a season-low 44 points in a 67-44 setback against the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons at Memorial Coliseum.
Freshman guard Emilie Sorensen from Waukee, Iowa, led all scorers with 17 points, including a season-best five three-pointers. She also contributed four boards. Nevaeh Wingate from Liverpool, N.Y., added nine points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Maria Serracanta of Sabadell, Spain, pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.
NIU (2-8) jumped out to an early edge on a Nadechka Laccen layup 1:11 into the game, but Purdue Fort Wayne responded with a 14-0 run over the next 4:41, helped by nine points from Alana Nelson and Jordan Reid. Sorensen halted the surge with a triple at 3:09 remaining in the first, trimming the Huskies’ deficit to nine, 14-5. The Mastodons shot 53.3% in the opening frame and led 20-7.
In the second period, NIU went 5-for-5 from long range and still found themselves in a 17-17 stalemate with Purdue Fort Wayne, leaving the halftime score at 37-24. Wingate opened the quarter with a three, and Sorensen then went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc in the final 7:34 of the half, scoring NIU’s last 12 points.
Purdue Fort Wayne stretched their lead to 16, 44-28, after a Nelson three-point play with 5:25 left in the third. Sorensen then sparked a 6-0 burst for NIU with a basket at 5:06, followed by Serracanta and Sa’Mahn Johnson finishing with layups to pull within 10, 44-34. The teams traded baskets for most of the third as Lili Krasovec’s jumper kept the Mastodons ahead 50-38 heading into the fourth. A decisive 14-2 run by Purdue Fort Wayne late in the fourth pushed the margin to 64-40 with 1:38 remaining.
NIU finished at 40.9% shooting but committed a season-high 26 turnovers, which the Mastodons converted into 18 points. Purdue Fort Wayne also dominated the boards, collecting 19 offensive rebounds for 17 second-chance points.
“We’re disappointed in how many times we turned the ball over today,” said head coach Jacey Brooks. “We expected Purdue Fort Wayne to be aggressive—they average 19 forced turnovers per game. They played their game, and we didn’t match it. We showed two good quarters, but to win, we need four.”
Krasovec led Purdue Fort Wayne with 16 points, while Nelson grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for a double-double.
Next up, NIU opens Mid-American Conference play on Saturday, December 20 at Central Michigan. Tip-off at McGuirk Arena is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT, with ESPN+ broadcasting the game and NIUHuskies.com providing the radio call.
—NIU—
