HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball fought hard against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, but the game slipped away in the deciding fourth quarter to result in a 61-47 setback. With the loss, NKU drops to 7-14 overall and 3-6 in Horizon League play while Oakland advances to 11-9 (5-4 HL).
Stat Leaders
- Senior forward Rebecca Lyttle recorded the sixth double-double of her career, leading the team with 12 points and 13 rebounds while also adding two assists and two steals. Lyttle was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line for half of her point total.
- Junior guard Mikayla Terry just missed out on a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, leading the team on defense with three swipes.
- Junior forward Kasey Uetrecht posted 11 points to round out the night's scoring leaders.
First Half Summary
- The Golden Grizzlies got out to a quick start, but NKU heated up at the end of the first quarter, going on an 8-0 run to end the first period with a 12-10 lead.
- Oakland outscored the Norse in the second quarter, 14-11, to hold a one-point lead at the half, 24-23.
- Despite the close score, Oakland was vastly more efficient than the Norse, who struggled to convert on second-chance points. The Golden Grizzlies went 11-of-21 from the field for 52.4 percent, while NKU put up 14 more shots and went 9-of-35 from the field for 25.7 percent.
- Lyttle led all players at the half with eight points and nine rebounds to go with two steals and an assist.
- Terry scored six points, all of which came in the first quarter, to go with four rebounds.
- The Norse did not make a 3-pointer in the first half, taking just four attempts from long range. It is the third time this season that NKU has not made a 3-pointer in the opening half, the other occasions being against Indiana State and Murray State.
Second Half Summary
- NKU was able to equalize the score at 36-36 by the end of the third quarter, thanks to a vital 3-pointer at the buzzer from senior guard Kelley Wiegman.
- The Norse continued to keep the score tight until the back half of the fourth quarter, when the Golden Grizzlies ended the contest on an 18-4 run.
- NKU was outscored in the fourth quarter by a 25-11 margin.
Norse Notes
- Oakland now leads the all-time series, 6-3.
- The Norse shot 27.0 percent from the field, marking the lowest shooting percentage that NKU has had this year in League action and the second-lowest that the team has shot overall this year. Conversely, Oakland connected at a .473 clip.
- Oakland held the advantage in the majority of specialty stats, outscoring NKU in the paint 32-24 and scoring 13 points off turnovers to NKU's 8.
- The Golden Grizzlies also held a large edge on rebounding, with a 45-36 advantage. However, NKU pulled down more offensive rebounds, 18-13.
- The Norse committed fewer errors than Oakland with 13 miscues, also grabbing nine steals and forcing an addition seven turnovers by the Golden Grizzlies.
Up Next
- The Norse stay home for Sunday's contest, hosting Detroit Mercy at 1 p.m. ET. It will be the second meeting this year between the two teams as NKU has completed its first half of Horizon League action. The game will be broadcast on the ESPN3 platform and will stream live on WatchESPN and the ESPN App. Sunday also recognizes National Girls and Women in Sports Day, with a multi-sport clinic hosted by NKU's various women's program following the game.
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