NKU's women could not get past Kentucky Wesleyan on Thursday night.
Box score
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College women's basketball team held Northern Kentucky University scoreless the final 4:48 of the game Thursday night and pulled out a 53-52 win against the Norse.
Karly Rhoads drained a 3-pointer with 2:08 remaining to give Kentucky Wesleyan a 53-52 lead, capping a game-ending 7-0 run by the Panthers. NKU had a chance to win in the final seconds, but Kourtney Rhoads – Karly's sister – blocked
Stephanie Hodges' jumper from the right corner and grabbed the rebound as time ran out.
Katie Behrens scored 18 points to lead Kentucky Wesleyan, which improved to 14-8 overall, 8-7 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
Casse Mogan scored 14 points to lead NKU, which dropped to 14-9 overall, 8-7 in the GLVC.
Going into Thursday, NKU was 27-0 all-time at home against Kentucky Wesleyan.
After
Ellen Holton made one of two free throws with 4:58 left, NKU owned a 52-46 lead. The Norse, however, committed five turnovers and missed all four of their remaining shots from the field to allow Kentucky Wesleyan to stay in the game.
NKU shot just 39.6 percent from the field and was 8-for-15 from the free-throw line. The Norse owned a 27-26 halftime lead, but Behrens netted 14 points in the opening 20 minutes of play to keep Kentucky Wesleyan close.
NKU was 13-1 when leading at halftime going into Thursday night.
Kentucky Wesleyan shot just 36.8 percent from the field and made just six free throws, but the Panthers still managed to pull off the season sweep of NKU for the first time in history. Earlier this season in Owensboro, Ky., Kentucky Wesleyan defeated NKU, 67-63.
Kentucky Wesleyan won the rebounding battle by a 38-36 margin Thursday night, with 16 of those boards on the offensive glass. Amanda Harnist pulled down nine rebounds to lead the Panthers.
Kendra Caldwell added 12 points and six rebounds for NKU, which lost its third straight game. The Norse are now 52-7 all-time against Kentucky Wesleyan.
Mogan, who added eight rebounds and four assists, now has 985 career points. She is 15 points shy of becoming the 27th member of NKU's 1,000-point club.
NKU plays host to Bellarmine at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the regular-season home finale. The Norse dropped a 72-70 decision at Bellarmine last month.
NKU will also recognize Caldwell, the team's lone senior, on Saturday. Caldwell is the last remaining player on NKU's roster from the 2008 NCAA Division II national championship team.
