HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball fell on Saturday afternoon to Horizon League foe Valparaiso in a low-scoring affair, 41-32. With the loss, the Norse fall to 8-17 overall and 4-9 in the League, while Valpo advances to 7-18 (2-12 HL).
Stat Leaders
- Senior guard Kelley Wiegman led the Norse as the only player in double figures, with 12 points.
- Junior forward Kasey Uetrecht added six points, but contributed heavily in rebounding, with 13. She and Wiegman tied for the team lead in assists, with two apiece.
First Half Summary
- NKU got out to one of its slowest starts of the season, scoring just 14 points in the opening half behind 4-of-25 shooting from the field. However, the Norse were also able to hold Valpo to a low point total, with the Crusaders connecting at 21.9 percent for 18 points.
- Wiegman scored all five of NKU's first quarter points. The senior quickly drained a 3-pointer to open up scoring 20 seconds into the contest, but the Norse then went into a nine-minute scoring drought until Wiegman hit a jumper with 40 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
- The Norse outscored Valpo in the second quarter, 9-7, led by five points by Uetrecht.
- Valpo held a heavy advantage in rebounding, 29-16 over NKU in the opening half.
Second Half Summary
- The third quarter was not any kinder to the Norse, who shot 3-of-11 from the field for 27.3 percent. Thomas led the team in scoring with three points, while Rebecca Lyttle and Wiegman added two apiece.
- Valpo ended the game with an 11-10 fourth quarter performance, with the Norse once repeating their third quarter efficiency at 3-of-11 from the field.
Norse Notes
- NKU retains the lead in the all-time series with the Crusaders, 3-2.
- The 32 points scored mark a season low for NKU. It is just the third time this year that the Norse have been held under 40 points.
- Both teams shot under 30.0 percent, which is the second time this season that NKU has held a team below the threshold. Valpo went 13-of-52 from the floor for 25.0 percent, while NKU had a season-low 21.3 percent effort.
- The Crusaders outscored the Norse in the paint, 16-6, and held a 47-33 rebounding edge.
- Valpo had the advantage in nearly every statistic, and forced 15 miscues out of NKU that were converted into 13 points.
Up Next
- The Norse hit the road for the final three games of the regular season next week, starting with Youngstown State on Thursday, Feb. 16. Tipoff against the Penguins is slated for 5:15 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the ESPN3 platform and can be streamed live on computers, tablets and smart phones through WatchESPN and the ESPN App.
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