Rayburn's career-high 33 points lead NKU women to 70-54 win against Saint Joseph's
Brandi Rayburn (34) scores two of her 33 points against Saint Joseph's.

Rayburn's career-high 33 points lead NKU women to 70-54 win against Saint Joseph's

Share
Bookmark and Share

wbball |

Photo Gallery | Box score

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Brandi Rayburn enjoyed a career night Thursday as the Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team coasted to a 70-54 win over Saint Joseph's.

b
Rayburn scored a career-high 33 points and pulled down nine rebounds for NKU, which snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 4-3. The senior forward from Olive Hill, Ky., netted 20 points in the second half and finished 10-for-13 from the field.

The NKU single-game record for points is 36, set by Peggy Vincent on March 11, 1977, against Claflin. Rayburn's previous career best for points at NKU was 21 against Bellarmine last March.

Casse Mogan added 13 points and nine rebounds for NKU, which shot 43.1 percent from the field. The Norse used a 21-0 run in the first half to turn a 13-all tie into a 34-13 lead on Kelsey Simpson's basket with 2:09 remaining before the break.

NKU held Saint Joseph's (2-6) without a point for more than eight minutes during that first-half spurt. The Pumas shot just 25.8 percent from the field in the first half and finished at 32.8 percent for the game.

l
Rachel Lantry dished out a career-high eight assists and grabbed five rebounds for NKU, which upped its lead in the all-time series with Saint Joseph's to 38-13. The Norse finished with a 46-30 advantage on the boards and were 17-for-20 at the free-throw line.

Tatiana Ortiz led Saint Joseph's with 17 points. Thursday's game does not count in the Great Lakes Valley Conference standings as the teams are in different divisions this season. NKU is a member of the GLVC East Division, while Saint Joseph's is in the GLVC North Division. The two teams will meet in a GLVC game Jan. 30 at Rensselaer, Ind.

NKU has now beaten Saint Joseph's 17 consecutive times at home. Saint Joseph's has not defeated NKU on the road since Feb. 13, 1993, when the Pumas pulled out a 67-65 win against the Norse in Regents Hall.

NKU will continue its homestand Saturday with a 1 p.m. game against Saint Francis (Ind.).


Print Friendly Version