HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – After a week break for finals, the Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team returns to action, concluding its five-game road trip on Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for a nonconference matchup with Marquette.
 
Tipoff from Al McGuire Center is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern.  Links to live stats and the free video broadcast are available at NKUNorse.com.  Be sure to follow @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter for live updates as the team's games progress this season as well.
 
NKU takes a 4-5 overall record to Marquette after its second-half comeback effort fell just short against IPFW on Dec. 6 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as the Mastodons defeated the Norse, 65-59.  NKU trailed by as many as 18 points in the final 20 minutes but outscored IPFW, 22-9, over a 10-minute span to cut its deficit to four (59-55).  Haley Seibert, however, held off the Norse rally by connecting on each of her attempts from the free-throw line down the stretch to seal the Mastodon victory.
 
The Norse placed four players in double-figures, led by Melody Doss' 18-point performance.  Christine Roush and Kelley Wiegman each added 11, while Kaitlyn Gerrety finished with 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.  NKU forced IPFW into 20 turnovers, including 12 in the second half, and scored 18 points of the opportunities the defense created.
 
ABOUT MARQUETTE: The Golden Eagles enter Monday's contest 2-6 on the year and are looking to snap a three-game skid.  Marquette returns home after dropping a pair of road games, losing 79-53 to Auburn on Dec. 2 before dropping an 89-64 decision to Wisconsin four days later.  Apiew Ojulu led the Golden Eagles with 13 points and five rebounds at Wisconsin, while Arlesia Morse added 11 points and a team-high eight boards.
 
Morse paces the Marquette effort, averaging 15.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.  Kenisha Bell adds 14.1 points per contest, and she leads the team with 16 steals.  Tia Elbert has dished out 27 assists to go along with 10 steals and an 8.5 scoring average, while Lauren Tibbs pulls down 7.0 rebounds per game and Ojulu has turned away nine opponent shots.
 
Head coach and former Marquette women's basketball standout Carolyn Kieger is in her first season with the Golden Eagles, replacing her collegiate coach Terri Mitchell.  She spent the previous six years as an assistant at the University of Miami, and she served as Marquette's Director of Operations during the 2007-08 season.
 
AGAINST THE BIG EAST CONFERENCE: NKU is 6-4 all-time against members of the Big East Conference.  The Norse faced local foe Xavier seven times between 1975-89 and hold a 5-2 advantage in the series.  Butler holds a slight edge, 2-1, in the all-time series against NKU.  The two teams first met in during the 1983-84 season with the Norse taking their only win over the Bulldogs, a 91-56 win in Regents Hall. NKU and Butler renewed its rivalry over the previous two seasons, and the Bulldogs defeated the Norse, 66-56, at The Bank of Kentucky Center on Dec. 16, 2012.  Almost a year to the day later, Butler overcame a four-point halftime deficit for a 53-47 victory in Indianapolis, Indiana.

DEFENSE STRONG: NKU currently ranks third among Atlantic Sun Conference teams in scoring defense.  The Norse are limiting their opponents to just 61.9 points per game and sit behind conference-leader Stetson, which is holding the other team below 60 at 57.4 points per contest.  North Florida follows in second place at 61.2 points per game.
 
NKU has held five opponents below the 61-point mark this season and is 4-1 when keeping its opponents under that threshold.  The Norse surrendered just 55 points in their season opener, a 76-55 victory over Delaware State on Nov. 14, and the team limited Grand Canyon to a season-low 45 points in a 52-45 win against Grand Canyon in the first day of the Navy Classic on Nov. 28.  NKU's only loss when holding teams below its season average came in a 45-38 defeat from Loyola (Chicago) on Nov. 22.
 
SECOND-HALF SUCCESS: NKU trailed IPFW on Dec. 6 by as many as 18 points in the second half but outscored the Mastodons, 35-28, in the closing 20 minutes.  This season, the Norse have scored more points in the second half against five opponents and hold a 282-279 advantage against the other team.
 
On Nov. 28, Grand Canyon led NKU, 28-20, at the halftime break.  The Norse opened the second half on a 10-4 run to come to within two (32-30) with 14:33 left in the game, and four consecutive free throws from Molly Franson tied the contest for the first time in the closing stanza at 34-all just three minutes later. 
 
A Mikayla Terry layup gave the Norse lead at 40-39 at the 5:26 mark, and Christine Roush extended the NKU advantage to 42-39 two possessions later.   A 3-pointer on the next Grand Canyon possession tied the game once more, but the Norse countered and held on for a 52-45 win.
 
FREE THROW CHANCES: Over the last two games, NKU has taken advantage of its opportunities from the free-throw line.  The Norse converted 16 of its 18 (.889) chances against No. 13 Kentucky on Dec. 3 before going 22-for-27 (.815) against IPFW on Dec. 6.
 
Kelley Wiegman was a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe over those two contests, while Christine Roush went 11-for-12 (.917).  Rianna Gayheart successfully connected on five of her seven opportunities from the line, while Molly Franson went 4-for-4 and Shar'Rae Davis, Kaitlyn Gerrety and Kasey Uetrecht converted each of their two attempts apiece.
 
Wiegman leads the Norse from the free-throw line this season, having gone 19-for-21 for a 90.5 percent success rate to also lead the Atlantic Sun.  Roush closely follows at 89.7 percent on 35-for-39 shooting from the charity stripe.  As a team, NKU is second at 73.3 percent (162-for-221) behind Kennesaw State's 74.8 (113-for-151).
 
UP NEXT: NKU returns to The Bank of Kentucky Center on Dec. 17 as the Norse welcome local rival Cincinnati to Highland Heights for the second consecutive season.  NKU will be hosting a Pajama Party to benefit the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.  Fans are encouraged to wear their pajamas to the game and will receive $3 admission if they bring a new pair of pajamas (with the tag still attached) for Cincinnati Children's patients.