HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Christine Roush and Melody Doss each scored in double-figures for the Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team, but foul trouble down the stretch led to a 76-62 loss to Jacksonville on Thursday night at The Bank of Kentucky Center.
 
Roush led the Norse with 20 points and Doss added 17 points as NKU fell to 14-12 overall and 5-6 in Atlantic Sun Conference play. Rebounding was a big part of the game as Jacksonville (10-14, 5-6 A-Sun) owned the battle of the boards, 43-27, led by Jenny Vernet's 10 boards to go with two points. Briona Brown scored a game-high 22 points, pulled down six rebounds and was one of four Dolphins in double figures. Brandi Buie scored 17 points, all in the second half, while Sherranda Reddick added 13 points and Kayla Gordon posted 10.
 
NKU started out on fire with Doss and Roush connecting on NKU's first three shots of the game, which were all from long-range, to race out to a 9-2 lead in the game's first two minutes. However, Jacksonville came back with a 10-0 run to take a 17-14 lead with 12:29 to go until the break. The Dolphins continued to press their advantage, going 5-for-8 from the field over a 4:41 span, pushing the lead to 26-19 halfway through the first half.
 
The Norse found their defensive posture, forcing four consecutive Jacksonville turnovers to spur a 12-1 run, capped by a Shar'Rae Davis triple and a three-point play from Roush, to retake the lead at 31-27 with 2:03 to go. Jacksonville cut that advantage in half after a Dawkins layup followed by matching treys from Doss, who finished the half with 11 points, and Brown, who had 16 points at the break, to make the Norse lead 34-32 going into the locker room.
 
The two-point edge held for the first five minutes of the second half as the teams traded points to 40-38 before Buie came up with her first six points of the game, all in a 1:20 span, to turn the tide and give Jacksonville a 45-40 lead at the 13:27 mark.
 
NKU again responded with defensive pressure, forcing four more Jacksonville turnovers over a three-minute span to spur along an 8-2 run to recapture the lead at 48-47 on a pair of Mikayla Terry free throws with 9:46 to play.
 
The teams traded that one-point advantage until a Buie layup with 6:41 to play pushed the Jacksonville lead to three points at 53-50. The Dolphins went on a hot streak from there, hitting three of four attempts, including 3-pointers from Brown and Reddick, to make it a 63-56 lead with 2:46 to go. From that point, Jacksonville continued to hit free throws down the stretch, scoring their final 11 points from the charity stripe to reach the final score.
 
The Norse return to action on Saturday evening when they take on North Florida in Regents Hall for Throw Back Night and Girl Scout Night.  Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. with the action broadcast live on ESPN3. Women's basketball alumni will be recognized at halftime, and Girl Scouts will receive free admission to the game when wearing their uniforms.
 
Traffic flows will be disrupted Saturday because of a large event held at The Bank of Kentucky Center.  Fans are encouraged to enter Lot T, which is the tiered lot across from Regents Hall off University Drive, from Martha Layne Collins Boulevard, and parking will be free of charge.