HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team is set to host its Atlantic Sun Conference home opener against South Carolina Upstate on Saturday at The Bank of Kentucky Center.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.  A link to live stats is available at nku.statbroadcast.com, and fans who cannot make it to The Bank of Kentucky Center on Saturday evening can watch the game on ESPN3 with the link provided at NKUNorse.com.  In-game updates will also be available by following @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter.

NKU fell to 10-7 overall and 1-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference on Wednesday evening after dropping a 66-58 decision at Kennesaw State.  Rianna Gayheart led the Norse offense with 13 points and two assists, while Christine Roush added 12 points, two assists and two steals.  Kasey Uetrecht finished with a career-high nine points on 3-for-4 shooting from behind the 3-point arc as Melody Doss and Kaitlyn Gerrety each pulled down a team-high six rebounds.

The Norse held a 25-19 advantage at halftime, but the Owls went 7-for-12 from behind the 3-point arc and shot 50.0 percent (12-for-24) from the field in the second half to fuel their comeback.  A Faith Sanders layup brought NKU to within one (51-50) with 5:20 left on the clock, but Kennesaw State responded with a 10-0 run, capped by treys from Deandrea Sawyers and Kelly Dulkowski, for its largest lead of the game.  The Norse trimmed their deficit down to six (62-56) with just over a minute remaining but could not get any closer the rest of the way.

ABOUT USC UPSTATE: The Spartans enter Saturday's contest 9-8 on the year and 1-1 in the Atlantic Sun after holding on for a 71-68 victory on the road at Lipscomb on Wednesday evening.  Sharmayne Edwards finished with 20 points off the bench to lead the Spartans, while Brittany Starling scored 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the floor and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Brittany Clency and Raven Jefferson each added double-figure points totals with 13 and 11, respectively, as well.

Edwards tops the Spartans offensive efforts, averaging 13.4 points per game to rank sixth among conference scorers.  Starling is adding 12.2 points per contest and pulls downs 9.5 rebounds per game to lead the team and land third in the Atlantic Sun, and her 50.0 percent (80-for-160) shooting from the floor also comes in at third.  Clency directs the USC Upstate offense, having dished out 48 assists this season, which is sixth in the league.

Head coach Tammy George is 129-155 in her 10th season with the Spartans.  Last season, she guided the Spartans to a 17-15 overall record and an 11-7 in mark in the Atlantic Sun, earning a berth into the Women's Basketball Invitational.  Prior to taking the helm at USC Upstate, she spent two seasons with Brevard College, where she posted a 43-21 mark.  Over her 12 season leading collegiate teams, George is 172-176. 

NKU-USC UPSTATE SERIES: NKU holds a 4-0 advantage in the all-time series with USC Upstate.  The Norse opened the home portion of their first Atlantic Sun season with a 70-62 victory over the Spartans before completing the season sweep with an 81-61 win in Spartanburg, South Carolina.  One year ago, NKU began its conference slate by defeating USC Upstate, 76-60, and the Norse later posted a 71-58 victory in The Bank of Kentucky Center in the last meeting between the two programs.

LAST TIME AGAINST USC UPSTATE: Melody Doss scored 19 points and blocked three shots to lead NKU to a 71-58 victory over USC Upstate on March 6, 2014, at The Bank of Kentucky Center.

Doss finished 8-for-12 from the floor and converted each of her three attempts from the free-throw line for NKU.  She also pulled down four rebounds and collected two assists and two steals.  Kayla Thacker recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Norse, while Kaitlyn Gerrety scored 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the field.  Rianna Gayheart rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12 points after knocking down four 3-pointers in the first half.

NKU used a 26-7 run in the first half to turn a 6-3 deficit into a 29-13 advantage to take control of the game with 5:43 left in the opening stanza.  Doss scored seven points during the spurt to lead the Norse as 15 of NKU's first 16 points came from behind the 3-point arc.

With NKU holding a 69-48 lead with 3:21 left in the second half, USC Upstate used a 9-0 run to come to within 69-57 on a pair of free throws by Alex Stanford with just over a minute remaining.  But, the Norse held off the Spartans rally for the victory.
Brittany Clency led USC Upstate with 14 points and three rebounds.  Valese McAllister added 10 points and six rebounds, while Brittany Starling grabbed 11 rebounds for the Spartans.

CHARITY STRIPE SUCCESS: NKU improved upon its Atlantic Sun-best free-throw shooting to 76.2 percent (279-for-366) with a perfect 8-for-8 effort on Wednesday night at Kennesaw State.  As a reclassifying institution, the Norse are unable to be included in the national rankings.  However, NKU would land in the top 20 if the team was added in.  Iona (16th), Marist (17th) and Notre Dame (18th) have each connected on 76.2 percent of their attempts from the charity stripe as well.

The Norse boast three players who rank among the top 10 in the Atlantic Sun, each shooting 80.4 percent or better.  Christine Roush leads the conference, having connected on 90.8 percent (69-for-76) on her attempts, which would be good enough for 12th place nationally.  Kelley Wiegman's 18-for-24 (.843) performance from the line is second in the Atlantic Sun, while Melody Doss lands seventh with an 80.4 percent (37-for-46) effort from the charity stripe.

TOPPING SEASON HIGHS: Kasey Uetrecht recorded a collegiate personal-best nine points on 3-for-4 shooting from behind the 3-point arc against Kennesaw State on Wednesday evening.  Her points total topped her previous NKU-high of eight points, which she added off the bench against Georgetown (Ky.) on Jan. 6.  Utrecht knocked down two 3-pointers against both Cincinnati (Dec. 17) and Georgetown.

The freshman forward from Clarksville, Ohio, averaged just 2.0 points and 1.0 rebound per contest in her first five games for the Norse after missing the first five due to an injury.  Over her last seven outings, she is adding 5.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.  Overall, Uetrecht is contributing 4.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game and has gone 8-for-16 (.500) from long range.

SATURDAY'S PROMOTION: The NKU-USC Upstate contest will be part of Shoot Around Saturday, where girls through eighth grade and boys through sixth grade can take the court to take a few shots at various baskets around the court after the game.  Players will also be available at the conclusion of the shoot around period for autographs.

UP NEXT: NKU continues Atlantic Sun action with a pair of games in Jacksonville, Florida, next week.  The Norse will face North Florida on Thursday at 7 p.m. and conclude their trip to the sunshine state with a matchup at Jacksonville two days later at 2 p.m.  Links to live stats and the video broadcast for both contests are available at NKUNorse.com.