HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team hits the road for the first of four away from home. NKU opens the stretch on Thursday at Cleveland State for a 7 p.m. tipoff, with the action carried live on ESPN3.
 
Northern Kentucky University Norse (10-8, 2-5 Horizon)
Cleveland State University Vikings (4-13, 1-6 Horizon)
Jan. 28 – 7 p.m.
Wolstein Center (8,500) – Cleveland, Ohio
TV: ESPN3 // Ed Daugherty (PBP)
Series History: (all-time) NKU leads, 1-0; (since 2012-13) First meeting
 
Fast Break Points (140 characters or less)
• This weekend will see the Norse conclude the first half of the Horizon League schedule as well, taking on Youngstown State on Saturday.
• NKU has averaged 73.2 points per game this season to rank third among Horizon League squads.
• NKU's overall turnover margin of +4.0 leads the Horizon League and ranks 34th in the nation.
• The Norse have forced 15 or more turnovers in 16 of their 18 games this season, and have forced 73 errors in their last five games.
• The Norse rank fourth in the League in FG shooting (41.8%) and lead the League in FT shooting (77.6%).
• NKU's 77.6 percent free-throw accuracy ranks fourth among all Division I programs.
• The 30 attempts and 22 makes from the free-throw line against Milwaukee were both season highs.
• NKU's assist to turnover ratio of 1.02 ranks fourth in the Horizon League.
• The Norse reserves outscored Green Bay's bench by a 28-17 margin on Thursday.
• F Kasey Uetrecht led the Norse last week, averaging 13 points per game and 5.5 rebounds.
• Uetrecht is averaging 7.4 rebounds per game in Horizon League play, ranking 10th among League players.
• G Christine Roush ranks second in the Horizon League and 18th nationally, shooting 87.8 percent from the free-throw line.
• F Courtney Roush averaged 12 points per game over the last two games, including a career-high 16 against Green Bay.
• Roush pulled down six rebounds against Milwaukee to set a new career mark.
• G Kelley Wiegman tied her season-high with 12 points to lead the Norse offense against Milwaukee on Saturday.
• G Rianna Gayheart now stands 15th on the all-time assist list at NKU with 301 over her four years.
• Gayheart improved her assist/turnover ratio to 2.0, ranking fourth in the Horizon League.
 
Last Time Out
NKU could not keep up with a hot-shooting Milwaukee squad, as the Panthers claimed an 86-60 victory over the Norse at BB&T Arena on Saturday. Kelley Wiegman scored 12 points and Christine Roush followed with 10. Steph Kostowicz led the Milwaukee offense with 23 points and eight rebounds.
 
About Cleveland State
The Vikings enter Thursday's contest with a 4-13 overall record and a 1-6 mark in Horizon League play after dropping road contests at Valpo and UIC last weekend. Freshman Ashanti Abshaw leads CSU's offense with 15.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest, while Khala Livingston is posting 12.4 points per contest, shooting 41.2 percent from beyond the arc.
 
The Series
Thursday will mark just the second meeting between the Norse and the Vikings, and the first since the 1981-82 season, when the Norse took a 99-66 result on neutral ground at the Kent State Invitational in Kent, Ohio.