Casse Mogan (center) is No. 5 in NKU history with 1,502 career points.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team plays host to Southern Indiana at 1 p.m. Saturday, marking the final time the two longtime rivals will meet as Great Lakes Valley Conference foes.
NKU is 19-5 overall, 12-4 in the GLVC. Southern Indiana is 8-16 overall, 2-14 in the GLVC. The Norse are ranked fifth in the Midwest Region poll, which will determine participants in the NCAA Division II Tournament in March.
THE SERIES: NKU holds a 37-19 lead in the all-time series against Southern Indiana. Earlier this season, the Norse posted a 64-52 win over the Screaming Eagles in Evansville, Ind.
NEARING 20: NKU needs one victory to secure a 20-win season for the sixth time in seven years. The Norse had won at least 20 games five straight years until last season, when NKU finished 18-10. NKU head coach Nancy Winstel has guided the Norse to 17 seasons of at least 20 victories.
1,500 & COUNTING: NKU senior guard
Casse Mogan enters Saturday with 1,502 career points, which is fifth in school history. She passed Linda Honigford (1,482 points) and Lori McClellan (1,501 points) on Thursday night by scoring 26 points in a 69-66 win at Kentucky Wesleyan.
Mogan needs eight points to move past Michele Tuchfarber (1,509 points) into fourth place in Norse history.
Mogan was named GLVC Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 31 points per game in victories over Indianapolis and Saint Joseph's. She averages 17.5 points per contest and is shooting 50.7 percent from the field. Mogan also leads NKU in assists (70) and steals (52).
ROAD WARRIORS: NKU pulled out a key road win at Kentucky Wesleyan on Thursday night, holding on for a 69-66 victory. Mogan scored the go-ahead basket with 4:04 remaining in the game. She also converted a basket with 16.9 seconds left to give NKU a 68-64 lead.
After
Maria Bennett made one of two free throws with 8.1 seconds remaining to extend the Norse lead to 69-66, Kentucky Wesleyan's Neika Smith drew a foul driving to the basket with 3.7 left on the clock. Smith missed both free throws, but the Panthers' Lauren Goffinet chased down the rebound in the right corner.
Goffinet's 3-pointer was off target, and NKU improved to 55-7 all-time against Kentucky Wesleyan.
HOPPER TIME: NKU's
Tiara Hopper netted all 13 of her points against Kentucky Wesleyan in the second half, including six in the final three minutes. The Norse rallied from a 10-point deficit (47-37) with 14:56 remaining by shooting 57.7 percent from the field in the second half.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST USI: On Jan. 28,
Maria Bennett buried six 3-pointers and finished with 18 points as NKU rolled to a 64-52 victory over Southern Indiana in the PAC Arena.
Ellen Holton added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Norse.
The Norse defense held Southern Indiana to 33.3 percent shooting from the field, and NKU made its final visit to the PAC Arena a winning effort. The torrid shooting of Bennett in the opening half ignited the Norse offense against the Southern Indiana zone.
Bennett knocked down four 3-pointers in the first half as NKU settled for a 29-20 lead at the break.
The NKU single-game record for 3-pointers made is eight, set by Shannon Roddy against Lewis on Feb. 1, 1997. Bennett's six treys against Southern Indiana were her career best in an NKU uniform. While playing at Wright State, she hit eight 3-pointers in a game against Valparaiso on Jan. 8, 2011.
Anna Hackert scored 12 points for Southern Indiana. The Norse finished 19-9 all-time against the Screaming Eagles in the PAC Arena and won seven of the final nine meetings in that facility.
