DETROIT – Northern Kentucky women's basketball held a tight game with Detroit Mercy, which was picked to finish second in the Horizon League, but a fourth-quarter 3-point barrage allowed the Titans to pull away, 57-49. With the loss, NKU falls to 5-13 on the season and 1-5 in League play, while Detroit Mercy advances to 8-9 (4-2 HL).
Stat Leaders
- Redshirt-freshman guard Taryn Taugher scored a career-best 14 points to lead the Norse in scoring, adding five rebounds.
- Junior foward Kasey Uetrecht poured in 12 points and added eight rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal.
- Senior forward Rebecca Lyttle recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
- Junior guard Mikayla Terry had a rounded performance with eight points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
First Half Summary
- The Norse got out to a slow start in the opening quarter, going scoreless for the first five minutes while the Titans put up seven points to start.
- NKU quickly gained speed, ending the first quarter on a 5-0 run to trail by three points, 14-11.
- A layup from Uetrecht tied the game up at 21-21 halfway through the second quarter, but Detroit Mercy spaced out its lead again on a seven-point run.
- NKU retaliated with its own 7-0 run to end the quarter, trailing by just two points, 28-26, after a 3-pointer from Uetrecht found its mark as the clock expired.
- The Norse were more efficient from the field in the first half, going 12-of-30 from the field for 40.0 percent while the Titans shot 12-of-31 for 38.7 percent. NKU also held the advantage on the boards, outrebounding Detroit Mercy 21-16.
- NKU shared the ball well, assisting on 9-of-12 field goals. Both Uetrecht and Terry recorded three assists apiece, while Uetrecht also led the team with nine points and five rebounds at the half.
- Only six fouls were committed during the entirety of the first 20 minutes, with three assigned to each team.
Second Half Summary
- Detroit Mercy started off the third quarter much like the first, with a 7-2 run for a 35-28 lead while NKU was held without a field goal for more than five minutes.
- The Norse kept the Titans from scoring much more throughout the quarter, allowing just five more points while the Norse controlled the back end of the half to trail by a 40-35 count heading into the final quarter.
- The Titans found their hot hand from the arc in the fourth quarter to extend from what was a three-point margin to a 10-point lead, with the pivotal point being back-to-back triples to extend to a 51-42 lead.
Norse Notes
- Detroit Mercy took the lead in the all-time series, now holding a 2-1 record.
- NKU shot 38.0 percent from the field, a more efficient mark than Detroit Mercy's 37.5 percent effort.
- However, The Titans used their signature 3-point shooting to widen the scoring gap, going 8-of-24 from long range.
- NKU outrebounded the Titans, 38-27, with a 37-19 advantage on defensive boards. Entering the contest, Detroit Mercy ranked 16th nationally in defensive rebounding, averaging 30 a game.
- The Norse committed 22 turnovers, which were turned into 17 points for the Titans. Detroit Mercy committed just nine miscues.
Up Next
- NKU will hit the road again for the upcoming, first heading to play Valparaiso in Valparaiso, Indiana, on Friday, Jan. 20. Tipoff against the Crusaders is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET, with a live broadcast on the ESPN3 platform. Fans can watch the game live on computers, tablets and smart phones through WatchESPN and the ESPN App.
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