KENT, Ohio – Northern Kentucky women's basketball used a run late in the third quarter to challenge Kent State, but the Norse fell just short on the road, 62-61. The Norse fall to 1-1 overall on the season, while the Golden Flashes picked up their first win of the year and improve to 1-2.
STAT LEADERS
- Grayson Rose notched a new career high with 16 points and was just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds. She also added two assists, a block and a steal to her stat line.
- Ally Niece scored all 12 of her points in the second half.
- Taylor Clos also reached double figures, pouring in 11 points and dishing out a pair of assists.
- Molly Glick added eight points and led the Norse defense with three steals.
FIRST HALF SUMMARY
- NKU started out with a strong defensive effort, nabbing three steals in the first 75 seconds of game play and keeping Kent State scoreless until the 6:25 mark.
- The Golden Flashes pulled away in the second quarter and led by five at the half, 28-23.
- Clos scored nine of her points in the first half, while Rose chipped in seven.
SECOND HALF SUMMARY
- The Golden Flashes started the third quarter with a 10-0 scoring run, but the Norse answered right back with a 10-point run of their own capped off by back-to-back 3-pointers from Kennedy Archer and Rose.
- Glick got the Norse within a point after cleaning up the glass and converting an offensive putback with four seconds remaining the third.
- Kent State opened up the final quarter with consecutive triples, but Niece used five points in straight possessions to tie the contest up at 48-48. Niece drew a vital charge with 20 seconds remaining as the Norse trailed 60-58, but Kent State used some key free throws to seal the win despite Niece's buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
NORSE NOTES
- NKU shot 43.1 percent in the contest, thanks to a strong fourth quarter where the Norse shot 7-for-11 (63.6%). Kent State was slightly above that mark at 43.5 percent.
- Both teams also shot above 30.0 percent from 3-point range, with the Norse going 6-for-19 from long range.
- NKU out-rebounded the Golden Flashes, 35-23, and only allowed Kent State to grab five offensive boards.
- The Norse assisted on 14-of-22 field goals on the night.
UP NEXT
- NKU is back on the court tomorrow morning against Akron, which defeated Horizon League foe Oakland earlier today. Tip-off against the Zips is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET.
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