HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball will kick off its final road trip of the regular season this Thursday, Feb. 28, at Oakland. Tip-off against the Golden Grizzlies is set for 4 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
LAST TIME OUT: NKU capped off its home slate with six-straight victories, ending the run with a 74-55 Senior Day win over Cleveland State. Taylor Clos led the Norse in scoring with 17 points, matching her career high of five made 3-pointers, while Jazmyne Geist was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field for 14 points to go with nine boards. Molly Glick also reached double digits with 13 points off three triples, and Ally Niece had eight points, eight assists and no turnovers in the victory. Senior Taryn Taugher was honored prior to the game, and she finished with four points and a season-high four assists.
 
SEEDING SCENARIOS: Heading into the final week of Horizon League play, the Norse currently sit at sixth in the league standings with an 8-8 record, just one off the most wins the program has had since entering the league in the 2015-16 season. NKU sits right behind Milwaukee's 9-7 record, and could finish as high as fifth in the standings with a 2-0 weekend for NKU and a Milwaukee loss at IUPUI, as the Norse would have the head-to-head advantage on common opponents thanks to a 60-57 victory over the Jaguars on Jan. 31. NKU has locked in either the No. 5 or 6 seed, as Cleveland State has one game remaining with a 7-10 record, and even with a win and two Norse losses would not have the head-to-head advantage as NKU swept the season meetings with the Vikings.
  
Wright State, Green Bay, IUPUI and Youngstown State have all clinched hosting rights for the first round of the Horizon League Championship, which will be held on either March 5 or 6. The Raiders need just one win this weekend to clinch the No. 1 seed. In a battle for the No. 2 seed, Green Bay and IUPUI will meet up on Thursday in Indianapolis, with the Phoenix sporting a 13-3 record while the Jaguars are at 12-4. Youngstown State is also in the mix with a 12-5 record, with just its finale against Cleveland State remaining on the schedule. Should NKU finish fifth, it will head to the No. 4 seed for the first-round game. With a sixth-place finish, the Norse would play at the No. 3 seed.
 
SO CLOS: Freshman point guard Taylor Clos earned the nod as the Horizon League's top freshman performer this past weekend, leading the Norse in scoring with 15.5 points per game in a pair of victories over Youngstown State and Cleveland State. The Alexandria, Kentucky, native shot .385 from the field and .500 from 3-point range, going 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. She also averaged 3.0 assists per game with just one turnover between the two contests, along with 2.0 rebounds per game and a pair of steals. In addition to her 17 points against CSU, Clos poured in 14 points and dished out a pair of assists with no errors against the Penguins.
 
SCOUTING OAKLAND: The Golden Grizzlies hold a 3-13 mark in Horizon League play and are currently just inside the tournament field at eighth in the standings. Oakland has been having outstanding play from freshman Kalaijah Dean as of late, as the rookie has been averaging 18.1 points per game for the last seven contests, including 30 points at Detroit Mercy off a 9-for-12 effort from 3-point range. Overall, Taylor Jones has been leading the team with 14.5 points and 4.6 assists per game in league contests, and the majority of Oakland's offense runs through the freshman/senior guard tandem with the next leading scorer at 6.4 ppg.
  
Oakland holds an 8-5 advantage in the all-time series, but the Norse have the 4-3 edge since NKU's transition to Division I. NKU last took down Oakland on Jan. 27 inside BB&T Arena with a 72-50 victory.