HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball continues the first weekend of Horizon League competition by welcoming League-favorite No. 19/20 Green Bay to BB&T Arena. Tipoff against the Phoenix is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 30. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 with live streaming available on computers, tablets, smart phones and streaming devices through WatchESPN and the ESPN App.
 
LAST TIME OUT: NKU had Milwaukee on the ropes for much of Thursday's contest, but a 17-5 fourth quarter for the Panthers proved to be fatal as the Norse fell in the League opener, 52-49. Freshman guard Grace White had the best scoring night of her young career, going 6-of-11 from the field to lead the Norse with 15 points. White also contributed heavily on the boards and in defense, pacing the team with eight rebounds and three steals. Molly Glick chipped in 10 points as NKU's second double-digit scorer.
 
SCOUTING NO. 19/20 GREEN BAY: The Phoenix have been a mainstay in the AP and USA Today/Coaches Polls, currently holding down the No. 19 and 20 spots, respectively. Additionally, Green Bay has been tabbed the top mid-major team according to CollegeInsider.com. The Phoenix are riding a six-game winning streak and are 11-1 overall, with the lone loss coming against last year's national runner-up, No. 5/3 Mississippi State.
  
Green Bay's top quality is far and away its defensive prowess. The Phoenix hold the top scoring defense in the nation, limiting opponents to just 47.1 points per game at a .321 clip from the field (No. 3 nationally) and 23.3 percent from 3-point range (No. 5 nationally). Interestingly enough, Green Bay's stifling defense does not register an absurd number of steals or turnovers forced, sitting in the 170-200 range in both categories. Nonetheless, junior guard Jen Wellnitz is one of the top steal-getters in the Horizon League, swiping 2.36 balls a game. On offense, the Phoenix look to senior forward Jessica Lindstrom, who is leading the team with 14.5 ppg at a .513 clip and is averaging nearly a double-double with 9.5 rebounds a game to lead the HL in the statistic. Allie LeClaire is the only other Phoenix to average double figures with 12.9 ppg, as the team holds a modest scoring offense of 63.1 ppg.
  
NKU is still searching for its first win in program history against the Phoenix, trailing 5-0 in a series that began in 2016. The tightest matchup came in the Horizon League Tournament on March 12, 2016, when the Norse took Green Bay to overtime before falling by two, 80-78.
 
ROOKIES IN THE RANKS: NKU has had some key performances from its freshman class, which has come in to contribute right away. Two rookies help lead the team in rebounding (Kailey Coffey - 7.0 rpg; Grace White - 5.2 rpg) to keep the Norse at a +8.1 rebounding margin over opponents, a number that ranks 48th in the nation.  Coffey has the eighth-highest rebounding average in the Horizon League, and sits at fourth in the League with 3.1 offensive rpg. Samari Mowbray has also contributed heavily on both the offensive and defensive end, averaging 10.3 ppg at an impressive .484 clip, and is nabbing 1.6 steals per game.
 
TOP STATS: In addition to ranking fourth in the Horizon League in rebound margin (+8.1), the Norse are in the top-five of several statistical categories. In terms of defense, NKU is the top rebounding defense team (29.8 rpg). The Norse also rank second in scoring defense (57.8 ppg) and third in field goal percentage (.375), which are good for No. 54 and 76 in the nation, respectively. Offensively, NKU ranks third in the League in offensive rebounding (13.3) and has been converting well from the charity stripe with a 70.4 free throw percentage, good for fifth in the HL.