Casse Mogan attempts a jumper against Kentucky Wesleyan in the first half.
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SOMERS, Wis. –
Brandi Rayburn scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team posted a 68-55 victory against Kentucky Wesleyan in the opening round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament in DeSimone Gymnasium on Saturday.
Casse Mogan added 14 points, five assists and five rebounds for NKU, which improved to 20-8 overall.
Stephanie Hodges scored eight points off the bench as the Norse reached the 20-win plateau for the fifth consecutive season.
Mogan extended her streak of scoring in double figures to 28 games. The 5-foot-10 sophomore guard was named to the All-GLVC first team on Friday.
Rayburn, a senior forward from Olive Hills, Ky., netted 12 points during the first half as NKU built a 34-25 lead at the break. Hodges provided the Norse with a spark by scoring seven points in the first half.
NKU began the second half with a 7-0 run to extend the lead to 41-25 on Rayburn's basket at the 17:08 mark. Kentucky Wesleyan (12-16) stayed in contention behind the play of Katie Behrens, who buried four 3-pointers and scored a game-high 26 points.
The Panthers connected on five shots from 3-point range in the second half and eventually cut NKU's lead to 49-42 on a 3-pointer by Behrens with 10:19 remaining. Mogan countered by hitting a short jumper in the lane, and Rayburn later converted a steal into a breakaway layup to give NKU a 53-42 advantage.
The Norse finished 21-for-28 at the free-throw line and shot 43.4 percent from the field. Kentucky Wesleyan shot just 37.5 percent from the field but was 7-for-17 from 3-point range.
NKU now holds a 52-5 lead in the all-time series with Kentucky Wesleyan.
Rachel Lantry dished out six assists for the Norse, who knocked off the Panthers three times this season.
NKU will meet host Wisconsin-Parkside at 1 p.m. Sunday. Wisconsin-Parkside is 21-6 overall and is the No. 1 seed from the GLVC North Division.
The NKU/Wisconsin-Parkside winner advances to the GLVC Tournament semifinals next weekend in Springfield, Ill.
NKU is currently ninth in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region poll, and the Norse could have to reach the GLVC Tournament championship game to earn a berth to the NCAA Tournament.
