KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Senior Alli Carlson matched her season high with 22 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, as the Western Michigan women's basketball team held off Northern Illinois for a 65-60 win at University Arena on Saturday afternoon. 

Carslon was 8-for-14 from the field and 4-for-7 from three, while also dishing out six assists and grabbing five rebounds. She was the only Bronco to reach double-digit points, while Kailey Starks had nine points, and a team-high four steals. 

WMU's defense forced 20 turnovers on the day and scored 20 points off of them. The Broncos (8-17, 4-10) also got 20 points from their bench, led by Alli Harness' eight and D'Myjah Bolds and Mary Clare Brusek both scoring six. 

The teams traded points to open the game until NIU had a 9-6 lead with 3:341 left in the first quarter. A layup by Brusek and a triple by Harness put the Broncos ahead 11-9 and it was the last time the Huskies were ahead. WMU closed out the quarter on a 12-2 run to take an 18-11 edge into the second quarter. 

The Broncos blew the game open in the second, holding Northern Illinois to just seven points, while scoring 14 to go up 32-18 at the half. WMU extended its lead to 37-20 early in the third quarter, but the Huskies battled back with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 37-27 at the 4:53 mark. NIU went on another run to cut WMU's lead to 41-39 with 1:53 to play in the third, but the Broncos were able to push ahead and take a 44-41 lead into the fourth quarter thanks to a triple by Carlson. 

The senior guard opened with two more triples in the fourth quarter to keep the Broncos ahead 50-46 and a three by De'ahna Richardson pushed the lead to 59-48. But the Huskies wouldn't go away, going on a 9-0 run to get within two, 59-57. Carlson made a layup to go ahead 61-57 and then stole a pass from Maria Serracanta and drove down the court for two to push the lead to 63-57. 

A three-pointer by Sa'mahn Johnson cut WMU's lead to three, but Carlson made two free throws down the stretch and Bronco defense held the Huskie scoreless to the whistle. 

Western Michigan heads to Buffalo to take on the Bulls on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before returning to host UMass on Saturday at 12 p.m. Tickets are available at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets.