HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team returned to action following a short break, taking on the Jaguars of IUPUI and receiving a late Christmas gift with a 57-43 victory.
 
While the Norse struggled from the field at times, free-throw shooting and strong defense clenched the win with a standout performance by Melody Doss, who led the team with 15 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal.
 
"It was a very hard fought victory tonight by our team," NKU head coach Dawn Plitzuweit said. "I am very proud of our ladies for their defensive effort and tenacity.  We played against a well-coached, disciplined team in IUPUI and found a way to be successful.  This was a tough, gritty win at home where we played very well defensively and took care of the ball on offense."
 
The Norse jumped out to an early 8-0 lead with 16:34 remaining in the first half to force an IUPUI timeout. The inside-out game was key to a pair of early 3-point field goals from Doss and Rianna Gayheart, both coming off assists on kick-out passes from Kaitlyn Gerrety.
 
Both teams struggled with shooting in the opening 20 minutes. NKU (8-5) was 8-for-28 from the field in the first half, while IUPUI connected on just 7-of-27 of its attempts from the floor. The Jaguars gained ground on the Norse, pulling to within 12-7 at the 10:40 mark, just to be set back again by a trey from Kasey Utrecht to give the Norse a 15-7 lead on the next NKU possession.
 
IUPUI (5-8) did not back down. The Jaguars fought back to within one (15-14) after a 7-0 run, capped by a Mikale Rogers layup with just under eight minutes left in the first half. NKU did not surrender the lead, however, with a mini-run of its own, pushing its advantage to nine before taking a 25-18 lead into the halftime break.
 
The Norse struggled from the floor to start the second half, missing their first seven attempts from the field until Doss scored at the 16:42 mark, which allowed IUPUI to climb back into the game.  NKU held a slim 25-21 lead before the Doss layup before using a 6-2 run by for a 33-25 lead with 15:37 left in the game.
 
Continuing in the back and forth scoring, the Norse maintained a substantial lead for majority of the final half. With NKU led by 13 (44-31) with 8:14, the Jaguars once again closed the gap.  IUPUI brought the lead down to seven (44-37) with just over five minutes left but were dismayed by the shot clock buzzer-beater triple by Christine Roush on the following possession. NKU continued to push its lead,  secure late rebounds and make free throws to clench the victory.
 
Free throws were a major factor for the Norse throughout the game.  NKU was 6-for-6 at the charity stripe in the first half, helping aid its shooting percentage from the field, to end the game at 90.0 percent from the line, shooting 18-for-20.

IUPUI finished with a 49-29 advantage in rebounds, including 22 offensive boards.  NKU, however, forced the Jaguars into 20 turnovers and scored 19 points off those opportunities.
 
To accompany Doss' 15-point effort, Roush finished with 11 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots. Kaitlyn Gerrety chipped in nine points and an additional five boards for the Norse.
 
"Our post players were given the task of keeping IUPUI's post players off the glass, and they worked very hard to do so," added Plitzuweit. "That allowed our guards to step in and snag some rebounds for us.  Christine grabbed five defensive rebounds, Rianna had three, Kelley had three and Faith came off the bench to grab two for us."

The Jaguars were led by Shaquira Scott, who scored 10 points and pulled down six rebounds. Akilah Sims and Rogers each had eight points. IUPUI struggled as a team, shooting 15-for-55 (.273) from the field and 1-for-11 (.091) from 3-point territory.
 
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.