HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team continues its road to the Horizon League Championship on Friday when the Norse take on Valparaiso in the tournament's second round. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. Central (6 p.m. Eastern) with the action carried live on ESPN3.
 
Valparaiso University Crusaders (10-20, 5-13 Horizon)
Northern Kentucky University Norse (18-12, 9-9 Horizon)
March 11 – 5 p.m. Central (6 p.m. Eastern)
Kress Events Center (3,000) – Green Bay, Wis.
TV: ESPN3 // Bill Scott (play-by-play) and Cordero Barkley (analyst)
Series History: Series tied, 1-1
 
Fast Break Points (140 characters or less)
• NKU has averaged 72.3 points per game this season to rank third among Horizon League squads.
• NKU's overall turnover margin of +3.7 ranks second in the Horizon League and 38th in the nation.
• The Norse have forced 15 or more turnovers in 26 of their 30 regular-season games, and have forced 91 errors in their last five games.
• The Norse rank fourth in the League in FG shooting (41.8%) and lead the League in 3-point (35.4%) and FT shooting (78.2%).
• NKU's 78.2 percent free-throw accuracy ranks third among all Division I programs.
• The Norse are knocking down 8.1 treys per game, ranking second among Horizon League squads.
• F Kasey Uetrecht led the Norse with a 15-point, seven-rebound, five-assist effort against Cleveland State on Thursday.
• Uetrecht (162) and F Rebecca Lyttle (150) are fifth and eighth, respectively, on NKU's Division I season rebounding list.
• G Rianna Gayheart went 5-for-7 from the field and scored 14 points to go with six assists in Thursday's win.
• Gayheart's 14-point outburst equaled a season high, set on Dec. 2 against Kentucky.
• With 494 points, G Christine Roush lays claim to NKU's highest season scoring total in the Division I era.
• Christine Roush leads the league and the nation in free-throw shooting (91.2%) and ranks third in the league in three-point shooting (39.3%).
• F Courtney Roush is one of the Horizon League's most efficient shooters, ranking third overall (54.1%) and fourth in League games (52.9%).
• F Molly Franson knocked down six FGs in Thursday's win, her best shooting effort since draining seven against Robert Morris on Nov. 29.
 
 
Last Time Out
A dominating defensive effort in the first quarter against Cleveland State helped put away a 71-59 win for the Norse in the Horizon League Championship opener. Kasey Uetrecht went for 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Rianna Gayheart added 14 points and six assists. Khayla Livingston led Cleveland State with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
 
About Valparaiso
The Crusaders advanced to the second round of the Horizon League Championship via a 94-91 overtime victory over Detroit. Jasmyn Walker led the way with 23 points while Meredith Hamlet had a 21-point game. The Crusaders drained 15 three-pointers in the win, including nine of their first 10 attempts.
 
Walker leads the Crusaders, scoring 12.2 points per game and grabbing 8.2 rebounds, while Hamlet, an All-Freshman team honoree, averages 10.8 points per game while shooting a team-best 38.6 percent from beyond the arc.
 
The Series
The all-time series between the teams is tied at a game a piece after each team won on the road during the 2015-16 regular season. Meredith Hamlet had a 23-point performance to lead Valpo to a 61-60 win on Dec. 30 at BB&T Arena, while the Norse used a 27-7 third quarter to post a 68-50 win at Valparaiso.