HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball will open up the second half of Horizon League play on Thursday, Jan. 30, when the Norse host Milwaukee at BB&T Arena. Tip-off against the Panthers is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT: The Norse went 2-0 on the week after downing Detroit Mercy on Saturday afternoon, 72-60. It marked the second-straight game in which NKU had held its opponent to 60 points, and the Norse are now 8-0 overall and 5-0 in league play in games where opponents score 60 points or fewer. Against the Titans,
Carissa Garcia was just one point off her career best with 17 points, going 6-for-9 from the field, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.
Molly Glick added 16 points and
Ally Niece chipped in 11 points, four steals and three assists.
NORSE VS THE HORIZON LEAGUE: Since entering Horizon League play, the Norse find themselves among the top of the league in several statistical categories, ranking in the top-four in rebounding margin (+3.67), free-throw percentage (74.6 percent), assists (12.67), turnover margin (+1.44), steals (7.11) and blocked shots per game (3.22). Individually,
Grayson Rose paces the league with 1.67 blocks per game, while Niece ranks second in both assists per game (4.22) and free-throw percentage (.923), also sitting at fourth with a 1.81 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Kailey Coffey is eighth in rebounding with 8.11 rpg, and
Taylor Clos has made 15 3-pointers to rank sixth.
FRESHMAN PHENOMS: Ivy Turner has been making an immediate impact in her rookie campaign, starting in all 20 contests for the Norse. The Danville, Kentucky, native is third on the team in scoring with 8.6 points per game, and is doing so at 37.9 percent from the floor. Turner also averages 2.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. She was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week for the second time this season on Jan. 13 after averaging 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game against UIC and IUPUI. Earlier on Dec. 2, she earned her first weekly distinction after helping the Norse record three victories over Central Arkansas, Jacksonville State and FIU. Turner had double-digit scoring efforts in each game, averaging 12.7 ppg at 55.0 percent from the floor. She also added 5.3 rpg and dished out five assists while nabbing three steals..
Garcia was also named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week on Dec. 9 following her performance against No. 2/2 Louisville, in which she led the team with 13 points and five assists.
MILESTONE TRACKER: On Dec. 1, Glick was sent to the free throw line following a technical foul called on Florida International. Making both shots gave the redshirt-senior her 1,000th career point, making her the 30th Norse to hit the milestone in program history. Glick is also just the second player to score 1,000 points in the Division I era. Christine Roush was the first fully D-I player to hit 1,000 career points, as she finished her 2012-16 career with 1,439 points. Melody Doss (2011-15) also reached 1,154 points in her career, but played her freshman campaign in the Division II era.
Glick also has 188 career 3-pointers, overtaking Michele Tuchfarber (1997-2001) for third on NKU's all-time career 3-pointers list. She has made at least two 3-pointers in 14 of NKU's 20 contests.
SCOUTING MILWAUKEE: The Panthers finished the first half of league play with a 4-5 record, sitting in a two-way tie for sixth in the standings with Youngstown State. As a team, Milwaukee is in the middle of the pack in most statistical categories, but is near the bottom in turnover margin at -3.00. Since starting league play, Brandi Bisping has been the top scorer and rebounder for the Panthers at 9.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while Lizzie Odegard adds 8.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg. Sydney Levy is ranked third with 18 made 3-pointers during the league slate, with 62 of her 76 field goal attempts coming from beyond the arc.
Milwaukee holds a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series with the Norse, which dates back to when Northern Kentucky joined the Horizon League in the 2015-16 season. The Norse secured a road victory over the Panthers earlier in the season, 61-49, with four Norse reaching double figures in the scoring column.
