HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball finishes of the fall semester at home, taking on Big Ten foe Indiana on Saturday evening. Tipoff against the Hoosiers is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3. Live streaming will be available on computers, tablets, smart phones and streaming devices through WatchESPN and the ESPN App.

GAMEDAY PROMOTIONS: Tomorrow's game will be "Holiday Hoops" for Norse fans. The first 500 fans will receive a #NorseUp foam finger, and there will be an ugly Christmas sweater contest at halftime. Following the game, NKU will host shootaround Saturday for kids.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Tuesday night ended in heartbreak for the Norse as a layup at the buzzer rolled off the rim and deprived NKU of a comeback win over Austin Peay. In the 53-52 loss, Molly Glick led the Norse in scoring with 19 points, 11 of which came in the first quarter, for her third-straight game above 15 points. Kailey Coffey added 16 points from down low, along with a game-high eight rebounds, and Laura Thomas had one of her best performances at the point with five assists, four steals and three rebounds. NKU shot 46.5 percent for the contest, making it the third-consecutive game that the Norse have connected at above 40.0 percent from the field.
 
ROOKIES IN THE RANKS: NKU has had some key performances from its freshman class, which has come in to contribute right away. Two rookies lead the team in rebounding (Kailey Coffey - 7.6 rpg; Grace White - 5.1 rpg) to help the Norse keep a +11.2 rebounding margin over opponents, a number that ranks 20th nationally.  Coffey has the eighth-highest rebounding average in the Horizon League with 7.6 boards a game, and sits at fourth in the League with 3.7 offensive rpg. Samari Mowbray has also contributed heavily on both the offensive and defensive end, averaging 10.4 ppg at the fourth-highest shooting percentage in the Horizon League at 55.1%, and is nabbing 1.8 steals per game, good for seventh in the League.
 
TOP STATS: In addition to ranking second in the Horizon League in rebound margin (+11.2), the Norse are in the top-five of several statistical categories. In terms of defense, NKU ranks third in blocked shots per game (3.7) and 3-point percentage defense (28.2 percent), the latter of which is No. 69 in the nation. The Norse also keep teams to 58.3 points (No. 56 nationally) at 37.4 percent from the field, which are both good for fourth in the League. Individually, Molly Glick ranks in the top-10 of League opponents in five statistical categories. The redshirt-sophomore is averaging 14.4 ppg, with 13 3-pointers coming at a .394 clip. Additionally, Glick is second in the League in free throw percentage (88.9 percent) and averages 1.1 blocks a game. Mikayla Terry has also done her part in distributing the ball, ranking fifth in assists (3.9) and sixth in assist/turnover ratio.
  
SCOUTING INDIANA: Similar to last season when the Norse took on the Hoosiers, Indiana had been receiving votes in the early AP and USA Today/Coaches polls, but have since fallen out of both listings. The Hoosiers most recently snapped a three-game losing streak with a 68-63 win over North Texas on Tuesday evening to hold a 5-4 overall record heading into this weekend. As a team, the Hoosiers are averaging 69.3 ppg at 43.8 percent from the field. Indiana comes in as an aggressive rebounding team that holds a plus-seven rebound margin.
  
Senior guard Tyra Buss runs the show in Bloomington and rarely steps off the court with 38.9 minutes played a game, which ranks eighth nationally. Last season was a historic year for Buss, as she raked in All-America honorable mention honors to mark the first All-America distinction for a Hoosier in over three decades. Offensively, Buss is averaging 20.4 ppg and 5.4 apg, both of which are in the top-50 nationally. Paired with Buss is senior forward Amanda Cahill, who has been the team's double-double machine with six in the first nine games. Cahill averages 12.4 ppg and 9.7 rpg and is also a defensive presence with 11 blocks on the season. The senior duo is also a potent threat from long range, combining for 25 of IU's 54 triples this season.
  
Indiana holds a 3-2 record in the all-time series with NKU, which was renewed last season after a 36-year hiatus. The Hoosiers won by a substantial margin nearly a year ago to the date, on Dec. 8, 2016.
 
YOUNG BLOOD: With Mikayla Terry being the team's lone senior, Northern Kentucky's roster features 11 underclassmen in its 12 active players. That makes NKU one of the youngest teams in NCAA Division I, trailing only Alabama A&M with regards to percentage of underclassmen, as the Lady Bulldogs have 13 underclassmen out of 14 active players. The Norse also have one of the most freshman-laden rosters in NCAA Division I with 58.3 percent of the roster being rookie players. Only Fordham (64.3 percent), Savannah State (60.0 percent) and Air Force (58.8 percent) have higher ratios of freshmen on a squad. (Special thanks to Fort Wayne's Brian Alden for compiling the corresponding data).