HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball hosts nearby rival Wright State in the only contest of the week on Saturday, Jan. 12. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. ET and the game will be carried on ESPN3.
GAME DAY PROMOTIONS: Saturday afternoon will feature an array of promotions for fans. First, Saturday is Alumnae Day, and the Norse will honor all-time great Michelle Cottrell Marston. Cottrell Marston is NKU's all-time leading scorer (2,241) and most efficient from the field in program history (.603) while ranking second on the all-time rebounding list (1,103), among many other impressive statistics. She was a three-time All-American and the DII Bulletin National Player of the Year in the 2000-2001 and 2001-02 seasons after leading NKU to its first national championship in 2000.
The game will also serve as Pendleton County Day, which provides $3 tickets to all residents of Pendleton County with a valid ID. Lastly, Saturday is Princess Day. Young fans are encouraged to attend the game dressed as their favorite prince or princess and take part in a variety of activities. By using the promo code PRINCESS on Ticketmaster, fans can receive the group rate discount of $5 for adults and $4 for ages 3-17.
LAST TIME OUT: The Norse dropped an 81-61 decision to Horizon League preseason favorite Green Bay.
Ally Niece was sensational with a career-high 21 points off 6-of-11 from the field and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Emmy Souder also added 10 points with a pair of 3-pointers of her own and the Norse sank 12 triples as a team, with
Taylor Clos and
Taryn Taugher each adding a pair.
SUPER NIECE: Ally Niece has been coming into her element as of late, averaging double figures in each of NKU's four Horizon League contests. Her impact culminated in being named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week on Jan. 7 after averaging 16.0 points and 3.0 assists per game to pace the team against Milwaukee and Green Bay. In addition to her outstanding performance against the Phoenix, Niece added 11 points, five rebounds and four assists in NKU's victory over the Panthers. In league play, Niece is averaging a team-best 13.5 points at a .450 clip, including .600 from 3-point range, in addition to 3.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game.
SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE: At 4-0, the Raiders are the only undefeated team remaining in the Horizon League. Wright State has already taken down the top-two teams in the preseason poll, with a 78-75 overtime road win at IUPUI before handily taking down Green Bay, 85-67. The Raiders also check in at No. 8 on the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25. Wright State is led by a trio of players, with Michal Miller pacing the team at 13.0 points per game while Mackenzie Taylor is not far off at 12.3 points per game. Freshman guard Angel Baker has been coming off the bench to rank third in scoring at 10.1 ppg and dishes out 3.4 assists per contest.
The Raiders average 72.6 points per game, topping the Horizon League in scoring offense while allowing opponents to score 62.9 ppg. Wright State is also the top rebounding team in the league with 43.3 boards per game, good for No. 30 in the nation. Symone Simons and Tyler Frierson are the primary rebounders for the team, with Simmons averaging 8.6 rpg while Frierson pulls down 7.1 rpg and is one of the top offensive rebounders in the country. The highest-ranked team statistic is the Raiders' turnovers per game, in which the team sits at 14th with just 12.8 miscues a game.
Saturday marks the 21st all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Norse holding a 12-8 advantage in the series. However, the Raiders have won each of the seven meetings since NKU's transition to Division I. The closest game of that span was nearly a year ago to the day, when Wright State escaped with a 68-63 overtime win in BB&T Arena on Jan. 13, 2018.
