HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball heads to Green Bay to take on the No. 20 Phoenix on Thursday, Feb. 1. Tip-off against the Phoenix is slated for 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3 with streaming available on computers, tablets, smart phones and streaming devices through WatchESPN and the ESPN App.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Norse fell on the road to Cleveland State to start the second half of Horizon League play, dropping a 72-49 decision to the Vikings. Molly Glick led NKU with 13 points, while Chyna Anthony had her best scoring game against a Division I opponent with 10 points. On the boards, Grayson Rose had a career-high 13 rebounds and also dished out three assists in the setback.
 
SCOUTING GREEN BAY: The No. 20/20 Phoenix enter the weekend with a 19-2 record and are 9-1 in Horizon League games. In addition to the upset from NKU on Dec. 28, the only other team to hand Green Bay a loss this season was the 2017 national runner-up and currently undefeated Mississippi State squad. Even though the Norse spoiled Green Bay's chance at running the league table, the Phoenix have been rolling through Horizon League opponents by a +21.0 scoring margin, holding league opponents to an average of 43.1 points per game. Those numbers are not too far above their overall average either; Green Bay leads the nation in scoring defense (45.2 ppg), is second in field-goal and 3-point percentage defense (.313, .244), and is 10th in scoring margin (+18.6).
  
Seniors Allie LeClaire and Jessica Lindstrom have been leading the Phoenix in scoring with 14.2 and 13.9 ppg in Horizon League games, respectively, while Lindstrom is also the league's only player averaging a double-double with 10.2 rebounds per game. Jen Wellnitz has been running a strong point for the Phoenix, averaging a league-best 5.4 assists per game with a 3.4 assist-to-turnover ratio, and is also third in the league with 2.6 steals per game.
  
NKU's only win in program history over Green Bay was on Jan. 28 this year, when the Norse had their first win over a ranked Division I opponent and the first over any ranked opponent since Jan. 12, 2012. Prior to the upset, Green Bay had won all five previous meetings with the Norse.
 
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 - 4.4 rpg) to keep the Norse at a +3.0 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 2.6 offensive rpg. Since entering League play, Coffey has been averaging 10.2 points at a .485 clip, a shooting percentage that ranks among the League's top performers.  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.