Northern Kentucky University Athletics

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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Casse Mogan and Rachel Lantry combined for 27 points and eight assists to lead the Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team to a 65-61 win against Georgetown (Ky.) Tuesday night.

Mogan scored 14 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out four assists as NKU improved to 3-0. Lantry added 13 points, four assists and two blocked shots for the Norse, who are ranked 15th nationally in the NCAA Division II poll.

NKU held Georgetown to 35.8 percent shooting from the field and improved to 14-1 all-time against the Tigers. The Norse have won the past five games against the NAIA powerhouse.

“They are a team that even if we were up by 20, they could easily come back,” Lantry said of Georgetown. “We knew their routine and that we couldn't ease up on them at any point in time.”

Georgetown (4-2) rallied from a 13-point deficit in the second half to cut the NKU lead to 59-57 with 1:02 remaining in the game when Emily Drees made one of two free throws. Mogan countered by hitting a pair of free throws with 40 seconds left to extend the Norse advantage to 61-57.

After Kourtney Tyra missed a shot, Mogan was fouled with 28 seconds left and canned both free throws to make it 63-57. Jayme Gilbert made a jumper with 23 seconds remaining to slice the Norse lead to 63-59, but Jessie Carmack sealed the win for NKU by converting a pair of free throws.

NKU used a 10-1 run early in the second half to build a 41-28 lead when Whitney Levering drained a 3-pointer off an assist from Mogan. The Norse maintained a double-figure lead much of the second half, but a 10-2 Georgetown spurt trimmed the NKU advantage to 53-50 with 7:06 remaining in the game.

Gilbert led Georgetown with 23 points and four assists. The Tigers won the rebounding battle by a 41-36 margin but committed 22 turnovers.

“I knew that Georgetown was going to be a bigger challenge for us than what our first two games had been,” NKU head coach Nancy Winstel said. “I was really concerned because I think they are a very good team. They have a great guard in Jayme Gilbert. In the first half, I thought Rachel did a good job on her. Sooner or later, you knew the kid was going to get going.

“We hung on to have to enough. We were up 10 or 11 and got a little sloppy. Right now we've got 10 kids and we've got to be able to play some of our younger kids and get them some quality minutes.”

Brandi Rayburn finished with 11 points and five rebounds in her season debut for NKU. Levering added nine points, while teammate Kelsey Simpson contributed six points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.

“I think Kelsey Simpson really helped us, and that is big for us,” Winstel said. “The rest of our bench, even though they're young, is going to get an opportunity. I thought Stephanie Hodges had another really solid game. I thought this was Rachel Lantry's best game this year. She brought it and played like a senior.”

NKU plays a road game at Wayne State (Mich.) on Saturday. The Norse begin Great Lakes Valley Conference play Dec. 3 with a road game against East Division favorite Indianapolis.

“This was a big win for us, especially since we've got the next three games on the road,” Winstel said. “The thing about this team is that we don't have one dominant player, but we have kids who know they're going to get playing time and they know they're going to get opportunities. That's what is nice to see.”