CARTAGO, Costa Rica – The Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team opened up a 20-point lead in the first half en route to a 61-46 victory over the Costa Rica national team to open up a week-long training trip in the country.
 
Christine Roush led the Norse with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, while Kasey Uetrecht chipped in 11 points and six boards. NKU finished the game shooting 37 percent from the field, including a 48.5 percent clip during the first half.
 
"We played very well in stretches of the game and built a 20-point lead in the first half," said head coach Dawn Plitzuweit. "We hit a drought in the third quarter but battled back to finish strong in the fourth."
 
Rebecca Lyttle pulled down 14 rebounds and added five assists for the Norse, who finished an 18-hour day with a victory.
 
"Physically, our ladies were put in a tough environment, waking up at 3 a.m., traveling to Costa Rica, getting stuck in a two-hour traffic jam that allowed us just 13 minutes for pre-game warmup," added Plitzuweit. "To their credit, they toughed it out and found a way to win. We enjoyed our first day together and really look forward to continuing to build as a team!"
 
The Norse have a quick turnaround, returning to the court at 1 p.m. CST (3 p.m. EDT) to take on the Costa Rica University (U21) national team. Following the game, the players will conduct a clinic for youth players.
 
For more information on the trip, follow along on the team's trip blog at nkunorse.com/costarica.