DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois held a decisive 26-7 advantage at the charity stripe en route to handing Toledo an 89-79 setback on Wednesday in the Convocation Center. With the loss, UT falls to 17-12 overall, 8-9 in the Mid-American Conference.

The Huskies (15-13, 7-10 MAC) shot 26-of-31 (83.9 percent) from the free throw line, while the Rockets connected on 7-of-14 (50.0 percent) to snap their three-game winning streak in the series.

In a back-and-forth game throughout the first three periods, NIU took control of the contest with a strong effort in the final 10 minutes.

Northern Illinois held a slim one-point lead, 58-57, before ripping off a pivotal 9-0 run to create a double-digit cushion, 67-57, with 7:32 left in regulation. Courtney Woods sparked the game-changing burst with six of her season-high 38 points to give a home team an advantage it would not surrender.

UT cut the deficit to five points, 67-62, on the strength of back-to-back layups from junior Mikaela Boyd at the midway point in the period, but NIU responded with a game-sealing 14-5 burst to establish an insurmountable lead. Woods once again spearheaded the rally with nine of the 14 points to put the final dagger into Toledo.  

Junior Kaayla McIntyre led the Rockets with 25 points and eight caroms in a team-tying high 37 minutes, topping the 20-point plateau for the sixth time this year.

Boyd contributed 16 points, a game-high 12 caroms, four helpers, one rejection and two thefts in a squad-tying best 37 minutes to post her career-best third-straight double-double and 11^th overall this season.

Joining McIntyre and Boyd in double figures was sophomore Mariella Santucci with a season-high 15 points and a squad-high six dimes.

As a team, the Rockets shot a respectable 46.5 percent (33-of-71) from the field, including 31.6 percent (6-of-19) from three-point land.

Toledo also dominated the interior, behind McIntyre's strong play, and finished with a 48-30 edge in points in the paint.

Besides Woods' season-high 38 points, Northern Illinois benefited from 22 points by Kelly Smith and 19 from Mikayla Voigt to clinch a first-round home game in next week's MAC Tournament.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
* The Huskies controlled the interior at the outset, building a 17-13 advantage after the opening 10 minutes. NIU's Smith sparked the strong play inside with three close-range baskets in the first period.

*The Rockets heated up from the field in the second quarter and took a 34-31 lead in the intermission. UT shot a sizzling 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from the floor in the period, highlighted by a perfect 4-of-4 effort from McIntyre.

* Toledo also utilized a career-tying best three triples from Santucci in the opening 20 minutes to help the 2017 MAC Champions assume a three-point bulge at the break.

* NIU drained an impressive 11-of-12 (.917) shots from the charity stripe in the third stanza to take a 58-57 advantage into the final 10 minutes. Woods did a bulk of the damage at the line, knocking down 5-of-6, while Smith was 4-of-4.  

* The Huskies opened the fourth quarter with a pivotal 9-0 run and followed it up a late 14-5 burst to put the game out of reach.

WHAT'S NEXT:
* Toledo will wrap up the regular season at home against MAC West Division Champion Central Michigan (24-4, 16-1 MAC) on Saturday, March 3. Game time versus the Chippewas is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and will be streamed live on ESPN3.

* Prior to Saturday's regular-season finale, UT's four seniors - Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott, Michaela Rasmussen, Jada Woody and Nancy Kessler - will be honored. The Rockets will also recognize senior student managers Jessica Paige and Brianna Stewart, as well as senior student athletic trainer Krisha Conley as part of their pre-game festivities.

* UT and CMU will meet for the second time this year and 81st time overall. The Rockets dropped an 85-47 decision against the Chippewas on Feb. 10 in McGuirk Arena.

* Toledo leads the all-time series, 48-32, and has won five of the last seven contests against its division rival. UT has also won the last three meetings at home and holds a 27-11 advantage in games played in the friendly confines of Savage Arena. A season ago, UT claimed a 74-72 home victory (Jan. 28).