HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball finishes up a four-game road swing against Milwaukee on Saturday, Feb. 3. Tip-off against the Panthers is slated for 2 p.m. CT/3 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: NKU took on No. 20/20 Green Bay on Thursday night, and the Phoenix avenged an earlier loss to the Norse, 58-41. The Norse are still the only team in the Horizon League to have handed Green Bay a loss this season.
Molly Glick led the Norse in scoring, rebounds and steals with 13 points, six boards and a pair of swipes. She hit three 3-pointers, marking the first time in her career that she has drained at least three triples in three-consecutive games.
SCOUTING MILWAUKEE: The Panthers are coming off a 59-53 win over Wright State, which was accomplished without the presence of preseason first teamer Steph Kostowicz. The senior leads the Horizon League in blocks and shooting percentage, is ranked third in rebounds per game and is sixth in scoring average. Her numbers have dipped slightly since entering league play, averaging 11.3 ppg and 7.6 rpg compared to her 14.3 ppg/8.0 rpg overall stat line. Jenny Lindner has taken over as Milwaukee's top double threat, averaging nearly a double-double against league opponents at 14.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Milwaukee sits at third in the Horizon League behind an 8-3 mark, falling to Green Bay, IUPUI and Wright State. The Panthers have the second-highest field-goal percentage defense among league opponents, holding teams to a .369 clip while shooting .422 on the offensive end. With a strong inside presence, Milwaukee takes full advantage of its trips to the charity stripe and ranks 10th nationally with a 77.7 free throw percentage. The Panthers are also an aggressive rebounding team with a +9.0 rebounding margin (+7.3 in Horizon League games), which is aided heavily by 29 defensive rebounds per game.
The Panthers lead the all-time series, 4-1, over the Norse. NKU won its lone game against Milwaukee in one of the team's most notable performances of last season. The Norse were blistering from beyond the arc, sinking 13 3-pointers on just 19 attempts and held last year's most efficient shooting team in the Horizon League to 34.4 percent from the field and 10.5 percent from long range.
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 - 6.2 rpg;
Grace White - 4.3 rpg) to keep the Norse at a +2.7 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 2.5 offensive rpg. Since entering League play, Coffey has been averaging 9.8 points at a .500 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.
