HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball continues the opening weekend of Horizon League play as it heads to Indianapolis for a tilt with IUPUI on Sunday, Dec. 30. Tipoff against the Jaguars is slated for 2 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT: The Norse opened up league play with a 67-49 win on the road at UIC with a well-rounded effort against the Flames. The team had season highs in assists (21) and 3-point field goal percentage (45.0 percent), and outrebounded UIC 42-28. NKU's freshmen were impactful on offense, with all three registering double figures to combine for 37 points.
Taylor Clos led the way with 14 points, followed by
Emmy Souder with 13 and
Ally Niece with 10.
Grayson Rose had a number of career highs in the victory, pulling down 13 rebounds while nabbing five steals and dishing out four assists.
SCOUTING IUPUI: The Jaguars were picked to finish second in the Horizon League according to the preseason poll, but IUPUI already needs to make up for lost ground after suffering a 78-75 overtime loss to Wright State in yesterday's Horizon League opener. IUPUI's roster features two preseason all-league selections, headlined by the Preseason Player of the Year, Macee Williams. Williams was voted the league's freshman of the year last season, and continues to be a presence in the post with 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game to rank first and second among league players, respectively. Holly Hoopingarner contributes 12.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg to rank behind Williams on the team standings while running the offense with 2.9 assists per contest. Tamya Sims appeared on the preseason second team and is posting 8.0 ppg, but has seen limited action with just six appearance this year.
IUPUI is shooting 40.2 percent from the field as a team, but allows opponents to shoot at a comparable 40.6 percent. Sunday's battle should prove to be a battle on the boards, as both NKU and IUPUI rank third in the Horizon League with a +5.8 rebounding margin, which is also good for 66th nationally. The Jaguars are efficient at making the most of their trips to the free throw line, ranking second in the league in both free throws made and free throws attempted.
The Norse and the Jaguars have a rich history dating back to the mid 1980s, when NKU dominated the series, 17-0. Since both teams have transitioned to Division I, IUPUI holds a 3-1 edge over the Norse with NKU's win coming on Dec. 30, 2014. The Jaguars claimed both outings last year during their first season in the Horizon League, with the last matchup being a tight 56-54 outcome in Indianapolis on Feb. 25.
