HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball welcomes Saint Louis to BB&T Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 12, for NKU's 2019-20 home opener. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be carried on ESPN+. Tuesday will also serve as NKU's Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night, which provides a complimentary ticket to all Northern Kentucky faculty and staff when they present their NKU ID.
LAST TIME OUT: The Norse had the edge in most statistical categories against Eastern Kentucky, but the Colonels used 11 triples and a fourth-quarter run to take the season opener, 69-62. NKU's rookie guard combo of
Carissa Garcia and
Ivy Turner led the Norse in scoring with 18 and 16 points, respectively, and Turner stuffed the stat sheet in her NKU debut with six assists, five rebounds and four steals.
SCOUTING SAINT LOUIS: The Billikens were picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic 10 and currently sit at 2-0 with wins over UT-Martin and Cincinnati. Saint Louis lost the 2019 A-10 Defensive Player of the Year to graduation, but returns the A-10 Rookie of the Year, Ciaja Harbison, who has been averaging 9.5 points per game through two contests. Saint Louis is paced offensively by Myia Clark and Rachel Kent, with 12.0 and 11.0 ppg, respectively. The Billikens' have done well in crashing the boards this year and are averaging 45.5 rebounds per game, led by Myriama Smith Traoere with 13.3 rpg. Brooke Flowers also adds a presence down low, as the 6-foot-5 sophomore is averaging just under a double-double at 9.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg to go with 3.0 bpg. Saint Louis has shown stingy defense in its first two outings with 7.0 blocks per game as a team while also holding opponents to 10.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Tuesday will mark the first meeting between the Norse and the Billikens and is one of five opponents that NKU will play this season for the first time in program history.
A LOOK AT THE NORSE: Northern Kentucky returns 91.1 percent of its scoring from a season ago, including all five starters. Redshirt-senior
Molly Glick, a preseason all-league honoree, is the lone senior on the squad.
Ally Niece returns for her sophomore campaign after being named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team, averaging 12.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in league play. Northern Kentucky also welcomes four newcomers who look to make an immediate impact:
Janna Lewis,
Carissa Garcia,
Tayah Irvin and
Ivy Turner. Lewis joins the Norse out of Motlow State Community College, where she was named an NJCAA All-American. Garcia, a guard out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was named to the Indiana All-Star team and was the Summit Athletic Conference's most outstanding player. Irvin, a forward from Fishers, Indiana, was heralded as the top defensive player for Hamilton Southeastern. Turner, a guard from Danville, Kentucky, was named the 12th Region Co-Player of the Year and ended her prep career as Danville's all-time leading scorer.
