Atlantic Sun Weekly Release |
Game 3 Notes
Sat., Nov. 16
Wilmington, N.C. – Trask Coliseum (5,500)
NKU (2-0) at UNC Wilmington (0-2)
Series Record: NKU leads 1-0
Last Meeting: NKU 71, UNCW 55 (Dec. 20, 2012)
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team hits the road for the first time of the 2013-14 season with a game at North Carolina Wilmington on Saturday at 2 p.m.
NKU is 2-0 on the season after earning a 61-48 victory over Illinois State on Wednesday night at The Bank of Kentucky Center.
Melody Doss scored 29 points to top her career best for the second consecutive game on 11-for-12 shooting from the field.
Christine Roush and
Kayla Thacker each added 10 points for the Norse, who forced 28 turnovers by the Redbirds.
Rianna Gayheart dished out four assists and had three steals for NKU.
UNC Wilmington enters Saturday's game looking for its first win after the Seahawks dropped a 75-64 decision to Elon on Wednesday evening and falling to No. 6 Notre Dame, 99-50, to open their season on Nov. 9.
Three players are averaging in double figures this season for UNC Wilmington, which returned just three letterwinners from last season's squad that finished 5-26 overall. Kelva Atkins leads the Seahawks with an average of 15.5 points per game. Brie Mobley has poured in 14 points per game over the first two contests, while Naqaiyyah Teague averages 10 points. Atkins also leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 6.5 per contest.
Live stats, video and audio for the game will be available at www.nkunorse.com.
NKU/UNC WILMINGTON SERIES: NKU placed four players in double figures on Dec. 20, 2012, as the Norse cruised to a 71-55 victory over UNC Wilmington at The Bank of Kentucky Center in the first meeting between the two programs.
Kayla Thacker led the Norse with 17 points, including 12 in the first half. She finished the night with eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Thacker went 5-for-7 from the floor and 6-for-8 from the free throw line.
Tiara Hopper added 16 points, while
Kaitlyn Gerrety came off the bench to score 11. Gerrety also pulled down six rebounds.
Melody Doss finished with 11 points for NKU.
UNC Wilmington held a 22-18 lead with 6:08 left in the first half, but the Norse closed the half with a 15-2 run to take the lead going into halftime, capped by a 3-point field goal by Doss for a 33-24 advantage at the break. Momentum continued to be in NKU's favor in the second half. Thacker hit two free throws to cap a 16-2 spurt, during which six different NKU players scored, to give the Norse a 67-45 advantage with 5:38 remaining in the game, and the Seahawks were unable get any closer than 15 the rest of the way.
Chelseas McGowen, Tawanna Lee and Jessica Freeman each finished with 14 points for UNC Wilmington, while Karneshia Garrett pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds.
AT IT AGAIN: After being named NKU's first-ever Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week on Monday,
Melody Doss once again put together an impressive performance with a career-best 29 points on 11-for-12 shooting from the floor against Illinois State on Wednesday.
The 6-foot junior forward from Greenwood, Ind., also grabbed nine rebounds, collected five steals and blocked three shots for the Norse. She finished perfect (6-for-6) from the free throw line and hit the only 3-point field goal she attempted.
With Illinois State holding a 40-36 advantage with 10:08 remaining in the game, Doss scored 12 of NKU's next 13 points to give the Norse the lead (49-43) for good.
After two games, Doss is averaging 26.5 points and 10 rebounds per game. Her scoring average leads the Atlantic Sun, while she is tied for third in the league in rebounds. Doss is shooting 65.6 percent from the field, which ranks second in the conference.
AGAINST THE COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION: NKU is 2-1 against members of the Colonial Athletic Association and will play two members of the conference this season. In addition to winning the only contest against UNC Wilmington, the Norse also beat Robert Morris, 73-69, in the one meeting between the two teams on Jan. 3, 1985 at the Central Florida Classic in Orlando. Last season, NKU ended its season with a 72-70 loss to the College of Charleston in the first round of the Women's Basketball Invitational.
NKU will participate in the Robert Morris Thanksgiving Classic Nov. 29-30 in Moon Township, Pa. The Norse will face the hosts at 1:30 p.m. to kick off the round-robin tournament.
BALANCED ATTACK: For the second straight game, the Norse placed at least three players in double figures.
Melody Doss again led the Norse with 29 points, while
Christine Roush and
Kayla Thacker each added ten points on the night.
Doss scored 18 of her points in the second half to key NKU's comeback after trailing 24-22 at the half. Roush regained the lead in the second half for the Norse with a 3-point field goal less than two minutes into the half. Later, Thacker gave NKU its first double-figure lead with 2:32 remaining when she drained a 3-pointer from the left wing to stretch the NKU advantage to 53-43.
On the year, each player is averaging in double digits as well. Doss leads the NKU offense with 26.5 points per game, while Thacker averages 14 points and Roush has added 11.5 points per game.
DEFENSE STRONG: Two games into the 2013-14 season, NKU ranks second in the Atlantic Sun in scoring defense. The Norse have held their opponents to just 54.5 points per game, including limiting Illinois State to just 48 on Wednesday night. Florida Gulf Coast currently leads the conference, only allowing 46.5 points per contest.
The Norse also rank second in 3-point field goal defense, holding opponents to just 5-for-23 (.217) shooting from behind the 3-point arc. From the floor, NKU is limiting the other team to just 36.2 percent (38-for-105) to rank third in the Atlantic Sun.
BEYOND THE ARC: The Norse are shooting 40.6 percent from behind the 3-point line this season to rank second in the conference just behind East Tennessee State's 41.7 percent. NKU has hit 13 of its 32 attempts.
Three players are averaging 50 percent from 3-point range this season:
Kayla Thacker (4-for-8),
Melody Doss (3-for-6) and
Christine Roush (3-for-6).
Rianna Gayheart has added two 3-pointers on the year, while
Kaitlyn Gerrety connected on her only attempt this season.
FROM THE LINE: NKU has made it to the free throw line 56 times this season and is hitting 73.2 percent from the stripe, which ranks third in the Atlantic Sun. Stetson leads the league on 18-for-21 (.857) shooting with Mercer following with a 75.6 percentage.
Melody Doss has connected on each of her eight free throw attempts to lead the way for the Norse from the line.
Christine Roush is hitting 90.9 percent (10-for-11), while
Kelley Wiegman ranks third on the team at 72.7 percent (8-for-11).
