HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – After a week off for final exams, the Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team returns to action on Sunday, hosting West Virginia State in the front half of a doubleheader with the men's team. Tipoff from BB&T Arena is set for 4:30 p.m., with the game carried live on ESPN3.
 
West Virginia State University Yellow Jackets (3-5)
Northern Kentucky University Norse (6-2)
Sunday, Dec. 13 – 7 p.m.
BB&T Arena (9,400) – Highland Heights, Ky.
TV: ESPN3 // Andrew Kappes (PBP) and Brad Redford (Analyst)
Series History: First meeting
 
Fast Break Points (140 characters or less)
• Northern Kentucky ranks third in the Horizon League in scoring, averaging 74.6 points per game.
• The Norse have scored 70 or more points in six of eight games so far this season, winning all six of those contests.
• NKU continues to be the League's strongest free-throw shooting team, connecting on 78 percent of attempts.
• If included in the national statistics rankings, NKU would stand fifth in the country in free-throw percentage.
• NKU is also leading the League in outside shooting, knocking down threes at a 39.7 percent clip.
• NKU has remained in the RPI top 100 since the initial ranking was released one week ago, and enters Sunday's game with a ranking of 82.
• NKU is one of seven Horizon League teams to claim a .500 or better record so far this season.
• The Norse blocked nine shots in Saturday's win over IPFW, the most since a nine-block performance against Jacksonville on Feb. 15, 2014
• NKU has seen big contributions from the bench over the last two games, averaging 39.5 points in games against Kentucky and IPFW.
• G Sarah Kinch backed up her career-tying 16 points against UK with a new career-high 19 points in Saturday's win over IPFW.
• Kinch averaged 17.5 points over the last week, hitting 57.1 percent (12-of-21) of her shots and going 4-for-6 from long range.
• G Shar'Rae Davis netted her first double-double in an NKU uniform on Saturday, scoring 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds against IPFW.
• NKU claims two of the top three free-throw shooters in the League in G Christine Roush (92.9 percent) and F Kasey Uetrecht (88.2%).
• Roush is in the national conversation as well for free-throw shooting (10^th), 3-point shooting (41.3%, 83^rd) and scoring (16.9, 100^th).
• Uetrecht's team-leading two steals per game ranks 185^th in the national statistics.
 
Last Time Out
The Norse got a career-high 19 points from Sarah Kinch and a double-double from Shar'Rae Davis to take a 77-64 win over IPFW on Saturday. A 13-2 first-quarter run for the Norse, capped by six uninterrupted points from Davis, put the Norse ahead for good in the contest as NKU shot 45.8 percent from the field. Christine Roush added 16 points and a career-high four blocks in the contest as well.
 
About West Virginia State
The Yellow Jackets enter Sunday's contest with a 3-5 record after dropping a one-point decision at Urbana (Ohio) last Saturday. WVSU boasts three players averaging double-figures for points, led by Laura Szorenyi who is chipping in 15.8 points per game on 44 percent shooting. Aurreshae Hines adds 14.3 points per contest and Alexus Hobbs has 10.3 points per game to go with 7.4 rebounds.
 
The Series
Saturday's game against WVSU will be the first in the all-time series between the teams, and will mark the first of seven first-time opponents for the Norse this season. In addition to Wednesday's matchup against IU-Kokomo, NKU has yet to face five of their nine Horizon League opponents in previous seasons.
 
Home Support
Northern Kentucky has enjoyed strong support during the nonconference schedule so far this year. In five home contests, NKU has an average attendance of 1,709, ranking second in the Horizon League behind Green Bay, who is averaging 2,837 fans across two home contests. NKU's highest home attendance in the Division I era came during the 2012-13 season, when NKU averaged 1,275 fans in 13 games.
 
Reserve Power
NKU has seen strong scoring efforts from the bench through eight games this season, averaging 23.2 points per game from non-starters. The contribution has been even stronger over the last two games, as the bench poured in 37 points against Kentucky and 42 against IPFW, accounting for more than half of NKU's scoring in each of those contests. In comparison, NKU's opponents have scored 15.5 points per game from their reserve players.