Women’s basketball: NIU falls in opener at Arkansas State

The NIU women’s basketball team dropped its season opener Thursday afternoon at Arkansas State 75-62.

Grace Hunter led the Huskies with 19 points while adding five rebounds and four assists. Brooke Stonebreaker grabbed 14 rebounds for the Huskies, and Jayden Marable had a team-best six assists. Stonebreaker also scored 11 for her first career double-double.

Hunter also had the team’s only steal as NIU lost the turnover battle 15-8. Hunter was 5 for 14 from 3-point range as NIU was 9 for 35 as a team. The Huskies shot 34.3% from the floor.

“I’m never going to tell players in the program not to shoot the ball when they’re in the game,” NIU coach Lisa Carlsen said. “It might look like a lot of shots, but I want [Hunter] to take the shots she took. [Stonebreaker] earned a lot of experience today, playing 35 minutes. She was out there in crunch time, and that will help her grow.”

NIU trailed by 10 in the first half but led 33-31 at the break. The Red Wolves scored the first 10 points of the second half, including three 3-pointers by Izzy Higgenbottom, who scored 31.

NIU dropped to 0-2 all time against the Red Wolves, having lost 74-70 in 1994.