HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball hosts UIC on Sunday, Jan. 21. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. ET and 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: The Norse struggled to find an offensive rhythm against league-leading IUPUI, falling 71-35 to the Jaguars.
Kailey Coffey and
Molly Glick both recorded seven points and five rebounds to pace NKU in scoring, as no Norse was able to hit double figures. IUPUI used its physical presence down low to score 59.1 percent of its points from the paint and shot 50.0 percent from the field.
SCOUTING UIC: The Flames got off to a strong start in the preseason, sporting a 7-4 record before facing Horizon League opponents. After dropping a tight 57-55 contest at cross-town rival Loyola, UIC has fallen in all seven league contests to date. However, the Flames have been within five points in three of their losses and most recently dropped a 10-point decision to Wright State on Friday evening. The Flames sit in the bottom half of nearly every statistical standing in the Horizon League, with the exception of 3-point field goal percentage in league play (.303) and rebounding, as UIC is one of the stronger offensive rebounding teams in the league with 13.9 offensive boards a contest.
Junior guards Brittany Byrd and Taylor Toney have been averaging double digits on the year, with Byrd posting 15.5 ppg with a third of her field goals coming from long range, while Toney contributes 13.9 ppg and 6.6 rpg. Toney is also ranked fourth in the Horizon in steals per game, nabbing 2.44 per contest.
NKU has gone 4-1 in the all-time series with the Flames, which dates back to the 2015-16 season when the Norse joined the Horizon League. The lone loss was in the most recent meeting between the two teams. UIC bounced NKU from the Horizon League Tournament on March 3, 2017, in a 72-60 first-round matchup.
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 - 6.4 rpg;
Grace White - 4.9 rpg) to keep the Norse at a +3.9 rebounding margin over opponents, a number that ranks fifth in the Horizon League. Coffey has the 12th-highest rebounding average in the Horizon League, and sits at fifth in the League with 2.7 offensive rpg. Since entering League play, Coffey has been averaging 10.1 points at a .512 clip, a shooting percentage that ranks among the League's top performers. White has also upped her play since entering the Horizon League season, especially with her 3-point shooting. Prior to the start of league play, White was connecting at a .231 clip from long range with just three 3-pointers made. Since Dec. 28, White has gone 5-for-11 from beyond the arc for a .455 clip. Both Coffey and White have been honored as the Horizon League Freshman of the Week during the season, making NKU the only institution this year to have two different rookies honored.
