HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball ends a three-game stint on the road this Sunday, traveling to Chicago to take on Horizon League foe UIC. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT from the UIC Pavilion, and the game will be broadcast on the ESPN3 platform with Joe Brand on play-by-play for the Flames. Fans can stream Monday's contest live on computers, tablets and smart phones via WatchESPN and the ESPN App.
LAST TIME OUT: NKU earned its first true road win of the season, taking down Horizon League foe Valparaiso on Jan. 20. Four Norse scored in double digits, led by
Mikayla Terry with 21 points, who also led the NKU defense with a career-best four steals and a block.
Rebecca Lyttle also recorded her second-consecutive double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, marking the first time since Nov. 15-21, 2015, that an NKU player had back-to-back double-doubles. Coming into her element on offense,
Taryn Taugher had her second-straight game with 14 points, connecting on two from long range to tie her career best.
Kelley Wiegman rounded out the top scorers with 11 points.
The Norse were able to hold off a third quarter surge that saw the Crusaders tie the game up at 33-33, but NKU pulled away to take a nine-point lead heading into the final stanza. The fourth quarter saw efficient shooting from the floor at 66.7 percent, but NKU was able to pull away thanks to 15 opportunities from the free throw line, sinking 11 attempts.
SCOUTING UIC: The Flames have struggled on the season just three wins overall over Lake Forest, Robert Morris and Howard, and have yet to claim a victory over a Horizon League opponent with a 0-8 mark in League play. UIC ranks ninth in the League in both scoring offense and scoring defense, posting 60.8 points while allowing 73.2 ppg, resulting in the bottom scoring margin in the Horizon League at -12.4.
As a team, UIC has proven to be disruptive on defense and aggressive on rebounding. The Flames rank second in League and just outside the top-50 nationally in steals per game, with 10.2 swipes a contest, as well as second in the League in turnovers forced, at nearly 18 miscues forced per game. The team also ranks third in the League in rebounds per game with 39.5 boards a game.
Brittany Byrd leads the Flames in scoring with 14.1 ppg and also grabs 5.8 rebounds a game, and Taylor Toney adds 10.6 ppg. On defense, UIC relies on Terri Bender as the top defender, who averages nearly two steals a game while also dishing out 4.3 assists per game.
