HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball hits the road this weekend, with its first stop at league-leading IUPUI. The Norse are set to tip off against the Jaguars at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 9 with the game being broadcast on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT: The Norse fell to Cleveland State in a tightly-contested matchup on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 73-68 decision to the Vikings. Cleveland State used a buzzer-beating shot to take a two-point lead going into halftime and were able to maintain the advantage for the remainder of the contest, holding off a late run by the Norse that fell just shy of pushing overtime.
Taylor Clos and
Emmy Souder both scored 18 points, while
Ally Niece added 11. The Norse dominated the boards, 50-28, and held the Vikings to just four offensive rebounds.
Grayson Rose led the way with a career-high 17 rebounds, while
Kailey Coffey added a season-best 14.
NORSE VS THE HORIZON LEAGUE: Since entering Horizon League play, the Norse find themselves among the top of the league in several statistical categories. NKU has been crashing the boards hard through four games, ranking third with a +7.00 rebounding margin. The Norse have also been taking care of the ball well, surrendering just 12.25 turnovers per game, the third-fewest in the league. NKU also sits at third in free-throw percentage (.797) and blocked shots per game (3.50). Individually, two Norse top the league statistics, with Coffey leading the rebounding column at 10.0 rpg while Niece is unblemished at the free-throw line on 12 attempts. Rose sits at second with 1.75 blocked shots per game, and Souder is among the top-10 of the league's scorers with 13.5 ppg. Additionally, Niece is fifth with 3.7 assists per game and her 1.50 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks seventh.
FRESHMAN PHENOMS: Ivy Turner has been making an immediate impact in her rookie campaign, starting in all 15 contests for the Norse. The Danville, Kentucky, native is fourth on the team in scoring with 8.3 points per game, and is doing so at 38.0 percent from the floor. Turner also averages 2.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. On Dec. 2, she was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week after helping the Norse record three victories over the course of the past week. Turner had double-digit scoring efforts in all three contests, 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 in wins over Central Arkansas, Jacksonville State and FIU.
Carissa 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 182 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 12 of NKU's 15 contests.
SCOUTING IUPUI: The Jaguars are 9-6 overall and 3-1 in Horizon League play, entering the weekend on a three-game winning streak after barely dropping the league opener at Youngstown State, 75-73. IUPUI is led by the reigning Horizon League Player of the Year and two-time reigning player of the week, Macee Williams. The junior forward paces the team with 16.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, upping that average even more in league play to 20.8 ppg and 10.0 rpg. Williams ranks fourth nationally with nine double-doubles on the season, and is also 19th in field-goal percentage at 59.5 percent. Senior Holly Hoopingarner is also averaging double figures on the year at 10.7 ppg and dishes out 3.5 assists per outing. Since entering league play, Sydney Roule has also become an offensive weapon for the Jaguars, chipping in 11.5 ppg with 15 made 3-pointers in four contests, shooting 52.0 percent from beyond the arc. As a team, IUPUI shares the ball well, topping the league and ranking 43rd nationally with 16.1 assists per game. The Jaguars are also efficient from the field, sitting at No. 44 in the nation at 44.5 percent. Led by Williams, the Jaguars hold a +8.4 rebound margin, ranking 32nd nationally, and outscore opponents by +12.7 ppg, the 48th-highest scoring margin in the nation.
Northern Kentucky holds a 19-5 advantage in the all-time series with IUPUI, but the Jaguars have gone 5-2 against the Norse since the transition to Division I. The two teams split the regular season last year, with NKU upending the Jaguars, 60-57, on Jan. 31. They met again in the first round of the Horizon League Championship on March 5, with IUPUI advancing to the semifinals.
