INDIANAPOLIS – The Horizon League announced on Monday afternoon that Northern Kentucky women's basketball rookie Carissa Garcia has been named the Nike® Horizon League Freshman of the Week following her performance against No. 2/2 Louisville. The honor is the first of Garcia's career and she is the second Norse freshman to gain distinction this season after Ivy Turner earned the honor last week.
 
"I am so proud of Carissa for how she has responded to some adversity on the court in her young career," remarked head coach Camryn Whitaker. "Things will only get better for her as she continues to grow and adjust to the college game, which will benefit our team immensely. I'm fortunate to get to be a part of that growth!"
 
Garcia had one of her strongest performances of the season against arguably the toughest opponent that Northern Kentucky has faced in program history. The Fort Wayne, Indiana, native poured in a team-high-tying 13 points, which included a pair of 3-pointers to mark the first time this season that Garcia has sunk two triples. The rookie had nine of her points in the first half alone, helping the Norse stay within two points of the No. 2 Cardinals by halftime. She also dished out a game-high five assists and grabbed three rebounds against Louisville.
 
Northern Kentucky heads to Terre Haute, Indiana, next week for the final road game of the nonconference slate. The Norse face Indiana State on Monday, Dec. 16, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.