Fri., Nov. 9
Cincinnati, Ohio - Fifth Third Arena (13,176)
NKU (21-7 last season) at Cincinnati (16-16), 7 p.m.
Series Record: NKU leads, 8-7 (regular season)
Last Regular-Season Meeting: NKU 64, UC 63 (11-29-86)
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team begins its first season as an NCAA Division I program Friday night by traveling across the Ohio River to meet the University of Cincinnati in Fifth Third Arena at 7 p.m.
NKU posted a 21-7 record last season and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament in its final year of competing in that classification. While in Division II, the Norse captured two national championships (2000 & '08).
Cincinnati finished 16-16 last season and earned a trip to the WNIT.
SEASON OPENERS: NKU owns a 28-10 record in season-opening games. The Norse have won seven straight season openers. NKU's last loss in a season opener occurred on Nov. 16, 2004, when Georgetown (Ky.) posted an 85-64 win against the Norse in Regents Hall.
NEW HEAD COACH: NKU's
Dawn Plitzuweit makes her debut as the Norse head coach Friday night. Plitzuweit spent the past five seasons as the associate head coach at the University of Michigan. Prior to that, she built Grand Valley State into a Division II power (117-39 record) and guided the Lakers to the 2006 national championship.
Plitzuweit replaced Nancy Winstel, who retired last spring after 29 seasons as NKU's head coach.
NO MO: NKU must replace two-time All-American
Casse Mogan in the backcourt. Mogan earned Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year honors last season after averaging 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. She also collected a team-leading 66 steals last season and shot 83.4 percent from the free-throw line.
Mogan scored 1,579 career points, good for fourth place in Norse history. The Circleville, Ohio, native also became the first player in NKU history to score 1,500 points, grab 500 rebounds, dish out 250 assists and block 50 shots in a career.
ALSO MISSING: NKU also graduated long-range bomber
Maria Bennett (54-for-151 from 3-point range last season, 7.0 points per game) and leading rebounder
Sadie Bowling (7.7 rebounds per game) from last year's lineup. Senior center
Ellen Holton (10.7 ppg) returns for the Norse after earning All-Great Lakes Valley Conference accolades last season.
IN THE A-SUN: NKU is picked seventh by the coaches and eighth in the media ballot of the Atlantic Sun Conference preseason poll. Florida Gulf Coast (29-3 last season) is the favorite in the media poll, but Stetson (23-11 last season) is the pick by the league coaches.
CINCINNATI/NKU SERIES HISTORY: NKU is 8-7 all-time against Cincinnati in regular-season games, but the Bearcats won three of the four exhibition contests played when the Norse were in Division II. Cincinnati posted a 72-66 win over NKU last season in an exhibition game. Dayeesha Hollins and Jeanise Randolph combined for 33 points and 12 rebounds to lead Cincinnati.
THE LAST REGULAR-SEASON GAME: On Nov. 29, 1986, Bev Walker hit a 10-foot jumper with 22 seconds remaining in the game to give NKU a 64-63 win over Cincinnati in the Communiplex Classic, which was played at then-Cincinnati Technical College.
NKU rallied from a 63-58 deficit in the final 1:30 of the game by scoring the final six points. Cindy Schlarman led NKU with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Linda Honigford added 16 points. Cincinnati had won the previous three games from NKU to even the all-time series at seven victories apiece.
HOME NOT SO SWEET: NKU is just 3-5 all-time against Cincinnati at home. The Norse, however, are 5-2 against the Bearcats in Cincinnati. Six of those wins against Cincinnati took place in the 1970s, when both programs competed as equals in the now-defunct Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW).
After the AIAW folded in the early 1980s, most member schools continued their women's athletics programs under the governance of the NCAA. At that point, Cincinnati's women began competing in Division I, while NKU chose to play at the Division II level.
All-time results vs Cincinnati (8-7)
Date Opponent Score Attend Site
---- -------- ----- ------ ----
2/13/75 at Cincinnati L 69-72 OT Cincinnati, Ohio
1/10/76 CINCINNATI W 83-49 Highland Hts., Ky. NKU Invitational
1/27/76 at Cincinnati W 72-38 Cincinnati, Ohio
1/7/77 CINCINNATI W 85-65 Highland Hts., Ky. NKU Invitational
2/25/77 CINCINNATI L 66-70 Highland Hts., Ky.
1/6/78 CINCINNATI L 60-64 Highland Hts., Ky. NKU Invitational
2/14/78 at Cincinnati W 83-50 Cincinnati, Ohio
2/20/79 CINCINNATI W 44-43 Highland Hts., Ky.
12/15/79 at Cincinnati W 86-62 Cincinnati, Ohio
1/28/81 CINCINNATI L 74-79 Highland Hts., Ky.
12/12/81 at Cincinnati W 89-85 OT Cincinnati, Ohio
2/22/83 CINCINNATI L 63-68 Highland Hts., Ky.
2/22/84 at Cincinnati L 67-78 Cincinnati, Ohio
2/12/85 CINCINNATI L 74-78 Highland Hts., Ky.
11/29/86 at Cincinnati W 64-63 Cincinnati, Ohio Communiplex Classic
Overall: 8-7
Conference: 0-0
Home: 3-5
Away: 5-2
Neutral: 0-0
