Women’s basketball

NIU 64, Western Michigan 56: At DeKalb, freshman Emilie Sorensen scored a season-best 22 to lead the Huskies (5-12 overall, 2-5 Mid-American Conference) to the home win.

Nadechka Laccen scored 14 points, all in the second half.

“I was really proud of our effort for 40 minutes tonight,” head coach Jacey Brooks said. “We talked at halftime about valuing each possession and taking better shots, and the offense really started flowing.”

NIU used a 9-2 run in the third quarter to take a 35-30 lead at the 4:58 mark. Sorensen sparked the run with the Huskies’ first 3-pointer of the game and had the first five points of that stretch. Western Michigan (5-12, 2-5) closed within one, but another Sorensen three put NIU up 38-34 with 3:03 left in the quarter.

Maria Serracanta and Laccen made back-to-back 3s to give NIU a 44-36 lead with 1:30 to go in the third.

“We rode the momentum of good shooting in the quarter,” said Sorensen as the Huskies were 4-for-5 from long range in the third. “That 3 from Nadechka really helped build that to keep us going to the win.”

Boys basketball

Genoa-Kingston 66, Marian Central 44: At Genoa, Kash Sunderlage scored 14 points and Blake Ides 11 in the victory.

Mendota 61, DeKalb 57 (OT): At Mendota, the Barbs dropped the nonconference game.