HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball will kick off the 2016-17 season in the Hoosier State, traveling to Terre Haute, Indiana, to take on the Sycamores of Indiana State. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3 with Rob Lafary and Tim Wells on the call for the Sycamores.
 
THE 2016-17 NORSE LINEUP: NKU has eight returners and three newcomers for the 2016-17 season. Headlining the veterans are junior forward Kasey Uetrecht and sophomore guard Molly Glick. Uetrecht is the top returning scorer and rebounder for the Norse after averaging 11.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in the 2015-16 season, and was also the team's representative on the Horizon League All-Tournament team. Glick was a 2015-16 HL All-Freshman Team honoree, as she contributed to NKU's signature strong shooting with 28 3-pointers at a .359 clip. If her outing in Tuesday's exhibition against Berea is any indication of her season to come, Glick is ready to be the team's sharpshooter after sinking 5-of-7 from long range in the win.

Also returning for the team are seniors Shar'Rae Davis, Sarah Kinch, Rebecca Lyttle and Kelley Wiegman. Davis and Wiegman are expected to share time at the point guard position, as both have been consistent assist-givers in their time at NKU. Lyttle looks to be one of the League's top rebounders in her senior year. Unfortunately, Kinch will sit out the season after suffering injury a few weeks back. Mikayla Terry and Taryn Taugher also return to the roster, with Terry looking to use her versatility as a guard/forward combo while Taugher will don her uniform for the first time after redshirting last year.
 
Camryn Whitaker welcomed three true freshmen to the team this year in Hannah Clark, Hayley Combs and Laura Thomas. The trio has a winning pedigree with Clark and Combs both having come from high school state championship-caliber programs in Ohio, while Thomas was an all-conference honoree in Indiana and looks to make an impact at the PG spot.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Norse hosted Berea College in an exhibition game on Tuesday night, slowly building a lead before an offensive outburst put NKU up 97-38 for the win. Sophomore guard Molly Glick led all players in scoring with 24 points, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Junior guard Mikayla Terry led the Norse on the boards with nine rebounds, just shy of a double-double with nine points. The freshmen had a strong showing in their first taste of action in front of a BB&T Arena crowd, as Laura Thomas scored 12 points to go with a pair of assists and three steals while Hannah Clark chipped in eight points with an assist, a block and a steal with no turnovers.
 
SCOUTING INDIANA STATE: Indiana State finished the 2015-16 season with a 13-17 overall record and went 9-9 in the Missouri Valley Conference to take the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament. The team was picked to have the same finish among MVC competition this year, as it placed sixth in the preseason poll. The Sycamores graduated their top player, Cierra Ceazer, who was an All-MVC honorable mention last season, as well as top rebounder Joyea Marshall. The top returning leader in scoring is junior forward Ashley Taia, who averaged 9.0 points a game behind .389 shooting from the floor. Taia was also the team's top 3-point shooter, connecting on 41 shots from behind the arc for a .333 clip.
 
Indiana State held its exhibition game on Nov. 4 against NKU's former Great Lakes Valley Conference foe Quincy, downing the Hawks in a 69-55 decision. Taia did not make an appearance in the exhibition, while the Sycamores were led by the scoring tandem of sophomore guard Tierra Webb and junior forward Wendi Bibbins, who combined for 27 points.
 
Northern Kentucky holds a 6-1 all-time record against Indiana State, with the lone loss being a 72-64 setback in the series opener during the 1976-77 season. The series was suspended for more than 30 years before a renewal last year. NKU hosted the Sycamores on Nov. 15, earning a 73-67 win in BB&T arena. The Norse have played in Terre Haute twice, once in the series opener and again in the 1981-82 campaign, which resulted in an 81-58 Norse victory.