Sat., Jan. 12
Highland Heights, Ky.
The Bank of Kentucky Center (9,400)
Lipscomb (2-12, 1-3 A-Sun) at NKU (5-8, 2-2), 1 p.m.
Series Record: First meeting
NORSE NOTES (FIVE STARTERS & ONE)
1• NKU is 5-8 overall (2-2 in the A-Sun) after posting a 68-55 victory over East Tennessee State on Monday night, the Norse's second consecutive win.
2• Norse junior guard
Kayla Thacker poured in a career-high 20 points to key that victory.
3• NKU sophomore forward
Melody Doss scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the ETSU win.
4• NKU is looking for its first three-game winning streak as a Division I program.
5• Lipscomb and NKU are meeting for the first time in women's basketball.
+1• The NKU women are 56-8 all-time in The Bank of Kentucky Center, including 4-1 this season.
GAYHEART EARNS A-SUN HONOR: NKU freshman guard
Rianna Gayheart was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Newcomer of the Week on Tuesday. She scored 19 of her career-high 24 points in the second half Saturday to lead NKU to a 70-62 victory over South Carolina Upstate.
Gayheart came off the bench to finish 7-for-11 from the floor and 6-for-8 from behind the arc to help the Norse capture their first A-Sun win. Her six 3-point field goals fell just shy of NKU's single-game record of eight, set by Shannon Roddy on Feb. 1, 1997, against Lewis.
In Monday's 68-55 win over East Tennessee State, Gayheart finished with six points and five assists in 33 minutes of action. For the season, the Owen County High School product averages 6.7 points per game. She is No. 2 in the A-Sun in 3-point shooting at 44.2 percent.
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Sophomore forward
Melody Doss collected the first double-double of her career Monday with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The 11 boards were a career best for Doss, who averages 5.5 points per game.
STAT STUFFER: NKU junior guard
Kayla Thacker played 40 minutes against ETSU and scored a career-high 20 points. Thacker buried four 3-point shots, grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists and also blocked two shots. She added two steals and made all four of her free throws.
Thacker leads NKU in scoring (11.6 ppg) and is No. 1 in the A-Sun in minutes played (37.5).
TRIPLE-THREAT: NKU senior guard
Jaimie Hamlet knocked down a trio of 3-pointers in the first half against ETSU as the Norse built a 46-38 lead at the break. Hamlet finished with nine points.
BIG-LEAD BENEFITS: NKU did not score a point during the final 4:35 of the game and still won going away Monday night.
Ellen Holton's basket at the 4:35 mark gave the Norse a 68-53 lead. ETSU, though, scored just two points the rest of the way. The Norse led by as many as 17 points midway through the second half and were never threatened.
STREAKS: NKU is looking for its first three-game winning streak since last season, when the Norse ran off five consecutive victories between Feb. 9 and Feb. 23. Those five wins were against Division II opponents Indianapolis, Saint Joseph's (Ind.) Kentucky Wesleyan, Southern Indiana and Bellarmine.
BANK ON IT: The NKU women are now 56-8 all-time in The Bank of Kentucky Center, including 4-1 this season. During their last 11 home games dating back to last season, the Norse are 10-1.
THE COACH: NKU's
Dawn Plitzuweit is 122-48 as a head coach entering the Lipscomb game. Before taking the NKU job last May, Plitzuweit collected 117 wins in five seasons at Grand Valley State and led the Lakers to the 2006 NCAA Division II national championship.
