HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky women's basketball team emerged from a Saturday showdown against Detroit Mercy with a 72-60 win at BB&T Arena. The win pushes the Norse to 11-9 on the year and 5-4 in Horizon League play. Detroit Mercy is now 2-18 on the year and 2-7 in conference play.
STATS LEADERS
- Freshman Carissa Garcia used a solid second half to lead the Norse with 17 points on the afternoon. She shot 6-for-9 (67 percent) from the floor and a strong 3-for-4 (75 percent) clip from three-point land.
- Molly Glick had 16 points and a trio of rebounds and assists, going 6-of-10 (60 percent) on the day.
- Ally Niece was the third Norse in double figures, picking up 11 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists.
- Kailey Coffey was effective on the boards, pulling down 12.
FIRST HALF SUMMARY
- Ivy Turner slid in a layup from the left side of the court on the opening possession to put the Norse up early. Glick and Coffey also made shots in the first three minutes of the matchup.
- Detroit Mercy got out to a 12-6 with 4:13 remaining in the first, but NKU stormed back to lead at the end of the quarter. Turner led the effort with a layup and a pair of free throws, while Clos had a clutch 3-pointer to help create a 16-15 lead.
- The Norse gained momentum in the second quarter beginning with a pair of free throws by Emmy Souder. Niece then converted an and-one attempt before Garcia drained a triple at the 7:45 mark.
- Niece landed a jumper in the post before Garcia hauled in a layup heading into a media timeout at 5:23. The Norse were on a 13-4 run at that point and extended their lead to 29-20.
- The Titans reached the line on back-to-back possessions and made four-straight free throws to shear off some of NKU's lead. Niece and Glick then made layups as a counter attack and put NKU up 33-24 with 2:23 left in the half.
- NKU went into the break with a 33-26 advantage over Detroit Mercy. The Norse shot a solid 12-of-28 (43 percent) from the floor and held the Titans to just 9-of-25 (36 percent) shooting. Niece led the Norse with seven points.
SECOND HALF SUMMARY
- Coffey dished over to Souder for a triple to begin the new half. The Titans then hit three-straight shots before Glick ended the mini-run with a triple and kept the Norse ahead at 39-35.
- Glick's 3-pointer jump started a 13-5 NKU run that featured a layup by Janna Lewis and another three by Garcia. Niece finished out the quarter with a pair of free throws as NKU lead 49-40.
- Clos, Glick and Garcia poured in a couple of points apiece as the fourth quarter began. The Norse then reached a double-digit lead at 57-46 after Niece sank a jump shot with 6:38 to go.
- Detroit Mercy appeared to gain momentum in the fourth and started trimming away at NKU's lead, but the Norse answered with a barrage of shots. Garcia had her third e-pointer of the day, while Glick sealed the deal with a jumper and a triple, giving NKU a 69-54 advantage with 2:14 to go.
GAME NOTES
- This is the fifth game of the year where Coffey pulled in double-digit rebounds. She's currently averaging 7.75 a contest.
- Garcia fell a point shy from tying her career high in the game. Her career high is an 18-point performance against Eastern Kentucky on November 6.
- The Norse are undefeated (5-0) on the year when they score 71 or more points. Additionally, NKU is 8-0 when opponents are held to 60 or fewer points.
- NKU has matched its win total from a year ago with today's victory.
UP NEXT
NKU takes on Milwaukee on Thursday night at BB&T Arena. The game will begin at 7:00 p.m. and be broadcasted on ESPN+.
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