HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team returns to action on Tuesday as the Norse begin a three-game homestand by welcoming IUPUI to The Bank of Kentucky Center at 7 p.m.
 
NKU enters the contest with a 7-5 overall record after defeating Delaware, 63-58, on Friday, Dec. 19. Melody Doss scored 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the floor to lift the Norse to victory. She also grabbed two rebounds and dished out one assist for the Norse. Christine Roush finished with 12 points and Faith Sanders added a career-high 11 points off the bench.
 
After a Sanders jumper beat the first-half buzzer for a 33-26 NKU halftime lead, back-to-back layups from Doss and Kaitlyn Gerrety opened the second-half scoring and sparked a 10-4 run to give NKU its largest lead of the game at 43-30 with 16:12 remaining. The Blue Hens battled back but were unable to overcome their deficit, pulling to within two (58-56), but the Norse held on for the win.
 
Links to live stats can be found at nku.statbroadcast.com, and link for the ESPN3 broadcast is available at NKUNorse.com.  Be sure to follow @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter for live in-game updates this season as well.

ABOUT IUPUI: IUPUI is 5-7 on the year after topping Evansville, 62-50, on Sunday, Dec. 21. Akilah Sims scored a career-high 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the floor to pace the Jaguars offense as Nevena Markovic added 14 points and a game-high six rebounds. Kelsi Byrd finished with 12 points, connecting on four shots from 3-point territory, and dished out three assists for IUPUI.
 
Markovic leads the Jaguars, averaging 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.  Shaquira Scott adds 9.5 points, while Mikale Rogers has turned away 12 opponent shots this season.   Byrd directs the IUPUI offense, averaging 2.7 assists per game, and Caitlyn Tolen has collected a team-high 13 steals.
 
IUPUI head coach Austin Parkinson has compiled a 60-65 record over his four-year career.  Last season, he guided the Jaguars to a 23-10 overall mark as the team advanced to the second round of the WNIT.  It marked the second-consecutive season IUPUI earned a berth to the WNIT.
 
NKU-IUPUI SERIES: NKU holds a 17-1 advantage in the all-time series with IUPUI.  The two programs met on a regular basis from 1985-96 before a 17-year hiatus, and the rivalry was renewed last season.  The series began during the 1984-85 season with the Norse taking a 77-55 decision in Indianapolis.  NKU won the next 16 meetings as well before the Jaguars captured their first victory over the Norse last year.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST IUPUI: DeAirra Goss scored 24 points on 10-for-11 shooting from the field to lead IUPUI to an 86-63 victory over NKU at the IUPUI Gymnasium on Dec. 18, 2013.  She also finished 4-for-5 from the free-throw line and grabbed four rebounds, while Dawn Luster and Nicole Rogers each added 12 points for the Jaguars.
 
Melody Doss scored 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the floor and grabbed three rebounds to lead NKU.  Kayla Thacker finished with 12 points, three rebounds and three steals, while Kelley Wiegman added nine points, two rebounds and five steals for the Norse.
 
With 4:43 remaining in the first half, Kelley Wiegman hit two free throws to give the Norse a 33-26 advantage, the largest lead by both teams in the opening stanza.  The Jaguars, however, finished the half with a 17-4 run to take a 43-37 advantage into the break.  IUPUI had six different scorers during that stretch, led by Goss' six points.
 
The Jaguars opened the second half with a 12-5 run behind seven points by Gross to push their lead to 55-42 with 14:12 left in the game.  IUPUI would eventually stretch its advantage to as many as 24 (81-57) and the Norse would get no closer than 21 points the rest of the way.
 
BLOCK PARTY: NKU recorded five blocked shots against Delaware on Dec. 19 to improve its season total to 42.  The Norse are averaging 3.5 blocks per game to rank third in Atlantic Sun.  Stetson tops conference teams with 4.6 rejections per contest, while Jacksonville just tops NKU for second, turning away 3.6 shots per game.  The Norse have blocked a season-high six shots twice, most recently against Grand Canyon on Nov. 28 at the Navy Classic.
 
Kaitlyn Gerrety leads the Norse defense, averaging 1.2 blocks per game for a total of 15, which lands fourth among Atlantic Sun players.  Christine Roush is 10th in the conference by turning away 0.8 shots per contest after rejecting a career-high four shots against Delaware on Dec. 19.  Roush has recorded 10 blocked shots this season, while Melody Doss has collected nine.
 
DEFENSE STRONG: The NKU defense ranks third among Atlantic Sun teams in both field-goal percentage and 3-point field-goal percentage.  The Norse are limiting their opponents to just 38.6 percent (261-for-677) from the field, including a paltry 27.0 percent (53-for-196) from 3-point range.

The Norse land fourth in the conference in scoring defense, restricting the other team to 61.2 points per game. NKU has held its opponents to under 60 points seven times this season, including a season-low 45 points against both Loyola (Chicago) on Nov. 22 and Grand Canyon on Nov. 28 at the Navy Classic.

TUESDAY'S PROMOTION: Fans can buy one ticket and get one free by bringing in the special promotional Pepsi can, which outlines the Pepsi BOGO games on the back.  The NKU dance team will perform their nationals routine during halftime of the IUPUI game as well.
 
UP NEXT: NKU continues its three-game homestand on Jan. 3, 2015, as the Norse host Wright State as part of a doubleheader with the men's team.  The women's game tips off at 1 p.m., while the men will take on Toledo at 4 p.m.  It will be Take a Kid to the Game Day, where children 12 and under will receive free admission with the purchase of an adult ticket to the women's contest.  Fans are also encouraged to wear gold as part of the game's Gold Rush.