KALAMAZOO, Mich. (Interstat) — In a game defined by runs and resilience, the Western Michigan Broncos outlasted the Northern Illinois Huskies 65-60 in a Mid-American Conference women’s basketball contest Saturday at University Arena. The victory, secured before an announced crowd of 829, snapped a four-game losing streak for Western Michigan and avenged a loss to the Huskies just one month prior. The Broncos improved to 8-17 overall, while Northern Illinois fell to 5-22. The most critical sequence unfolded in the final minute, a tense culmination of a second half that saw multiple lead changes. With Western Michigan clinging to a 64-60 lead and 27 seconds remaining, Northern Illinois forced a pivotal turnover. Huskies guard Maria Serracanta of Sabadell, Spain, attempted a three-pointer to cut the deficit to one, but her shot missed. Broncos guard Alli Carlson secured the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled. Carlson, a 5-foot-6 sophomore from Grand Rapids, Michigan, who played the entire 40 minutes, made the first free throw to extend the lead to five points. She missed the second attempt, but in the ensuing scramble for the rebound, she alertly stole the ball from Northern Illinois’ Marta Hermoso. Fouled again, Carlson missed the front end of the subsequent one-and-one opportunity, but the damage was done. The Huskies, out of timeouts and time, could not muster another scoring chance. That decisive final minute was a microcosm of the game’s key theme: Western Michigan’s ability to capitalize on Northern Illinois’ mistakes. The Huskies committed 20 turnovers, which the Broncos converted into 20 points. Conversely, Western Michigan’s 13 turnovers led to only 14 points for Northern Illinois. The Broncos also edged the Huskies in steals, 11-8, with Carlson notching six assists to go with her game-high 22 points. The contest was a tale of contrasting halves. Western Michigan established early control, leading 18-11 after the first quarter and extending its advantage to 32-18 at halftime. The Broncos’ defense stifled Northern Illinois, holding the Huskies to just seven points in the second quarter on 3-of-12 shooting. The second half, however, belonged initially to the Huskies. They erupted for 23 points in the third quarter, fueled by a 12-2 run that brought them within a single possession. Guard Sa’Mahn Johnson, a 5-foot-7 freshman from Columbus, Ohio, provided a significant spark off the bench, scoring 14 of her 14 points after halftime. Her back-to-back three-pointers midway through the third quarter ignited the rally and brought the large contingent of traveling Northern Illinois fans to their feet. Northern Illinois briefly took its first lead since the game’s opening minutes early in the fourth quarter, going ahead 49-47 on a layup by Nevaeh Wingate. The teams then traded baskets in a frantic back-and-forth that featured five lead changes over a four-minute span. Western Michigan regained the lead for good at 54-52 on a layup by D’Myjah Bolds with 7:25 remaining. The Broncos then leaned on Carlson and forward De’Ahna Richardson to seal the game. Carlson scored nine of her points in the final quarter, including a crucial three-pointer and a driving layup that pushed the lead to 63-59 with under three minutes left. Richardson, a 6-foot-1 junior from Bolingbrook, Illinois, contributed eight points, six rebounds and three blocks, including two key denials in the paint during the fourth quarter. For Northern Illinois, the loss was a familiar story of a valiant comeback falling short. Serracanta joined Johnson with 14 points and added five rebounds and four assists. Forward Emilie Sorensen, a 5-foot-9 sophomore from Waukee, Iowa, was a force inside with nine points and nine rebounds. The Huskies shot a respectable 45.1% from the field and 46.2% from three-point range but were undone by the turnover disparity and a 66.7% clip from the free-throw line. Western Michigan struggled from deep, making just 9 of 32 three-point attempts, but found enough offense inside, scoring 32 points in the paint. Guard Kailey Starks of Evanston, Illinois, added nine points off the bench. The game was a critical conference result for both teams battling to improve seeding for the upcoming MAC tournament. Western Michigan will look to build on the win when it travels to face Buffalo on Wednesday. Northern Illinois returns home to host Eastern Michigan next Saturday.