The NKU women's basketball team dropped a 62-57 decision at Wayne State.
Box score
DETROIT – Brooke Bowers scored 19 points as previously winless Wayne State (Mich.) defeated Northern Kentucky University in women's basketball for the first time in history with a 62-57 upset of the Norse on Saturday afternoon.
Chelsea Davis added 10 points and nine rebounds for Wayne State (1-3), which improved to 1-9 all-time against NKU. The Warriors used an 18-2 run in the second half to rally from an 11-point deficit and held on to win for the first time this season.
Casse Mogan scored 11 points during the first half as NKU (3-1) built a 25-20 lead at the break.
Brandi Rayburn added nine points in the first half for the Norse, who are ranked 15th nationally in the NCAA Division II poll.
NKU owned a 39-28 lead with 14:13 remaining after a
Whitney Levering basket, but Wayne State stormed back to take a 42-41 advantage on Bowers' layup with 8:15 left on the clock. Ashara Maxie capped the Wayne State run with two straight baskets to give the Warriors a 46-41 lead.
After NKU sliced Wayne State's lead to 52-49 with two minutes remaining on a
Kelsey Simpson basket, Bowers countered by driving baseline and making a high-arching shot to extend the Warrior advantage to 54-49.
Mogan made a pair of free throws with 1:31 left to cut the Wayne State lead to 54-51, but Deanna Crumpton converted a short jumper with 1:09 remaining to seal the upset for the Warriors. A year ago, NKU posted a 75-51 win against Wayne State.
Mogan finished with 17 points, six steals and five rebounds, while Rayburn added 15 points and eight rebounds. Simpson scored a career-high 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Norse.
NKU begins Great Lakes Valley Conference play Thursday with a road game at preseason East Division favorite Indianapolis. The Norse then travel to Evansville, Ind., on Dec. 5 to meet Southern Indiana.
