HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The first home game of the 2020-21 campaign for the Northern Kentucky women's basketball team is on tap for Thursday, Dec. 3, with a noon tip against Bowling Green.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (0-2 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
Bowling Green State University Falcons (1-0 Overall, 0-0 MAC)
Thursday, Dec. 3 – noon (ET)
Highland Heights, Ky. | BB&T Arena (8,427)
TV: ESPN+ with Matt Sexton (PxP) and Brady Laber (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Fast Break Points 
• NKU dropped a 70-60 decision at Akron on Tuesday night.
• The Norse were dominant on the glass, holding a 45-27 edge on the boards.
• Through two games this season, NKU is outrebounding its opponents by 10.5 boards per game (40.0-29.5 rpg).
• NKU continues its nonconference slate with Thursday's noon contest against Bowling Green on Thursday, Dec. 3. The matchup is currently the only home nonconference game slated for the Norse.
• NKU is 0-1 all-time against Bowling Green, with the lone meeting coming in the 1982-83 season. The Falcons won, 78-50.
• NKU is coming off of its first 20-win season during the DI era. The Norse went 6-5 in the nonconference before posting a 12-6 mark in League play and going 2-1 in the Horizon League Championship.
• NKU steamrolled both Detroit Mercy and Milwaukee in the opening two rounds of the Horizon League Championship. The Norse held two leads in the final minute, but ultimately fell short of Green Bay by one point in the semifinals.
• The Norse return quite a bit of experience, losing only three players from last year's squad. NKU welcomes back approximately 76 percent of its minutes played and 73 percent of its scoring.
• The Norse were picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Junior guard Ally Niece, who is coming off a sophomore campaign in which she was named to both the all-tournament and all-league second teams, earned a spot on the All-Horizon League Preseason First Team.
• Niece averaged a team-best 13.1 points and 3.7 assists per game last year, and she finished the season with four 20-point outings in the team's final six games.
• Niece is averaging 10.5 ppg in the young 2020-21 season.
• Senior forward Kailey Coffey has played in 94 games with 93 starts during a Norse career in which she has moved into 13th all-time at NKU with 686 rebounds.
• Junior forward Emmy Souder started all 32 games as a sophomore. She was third on the team in scoring at 8.8 ppg and second in rebounding at 5.4 rpg.
• She is averaging 5.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game so far this year.
• Sophomore guard Ivy Turner joined Souder in the starting rotation every game last year. Turner contributed 8.3 ppg for NKU and was second on the team with 66 dimes.
• Turner currently leads the Norse in scoring at 12.0 ppg.
• Sophomore guard Carissa Garcia averaged 7.3 ppg as a freshman, but has upped that average to 9.0 ppg so far this year.
• Five newcomers join the squad this season, including Louisville transfer junior guard Lindsey Duvall as well as freshmen guard Kennedy Igo, center Emma Palmer, center Christyan Reid and  guard/wing Ellie Taylor.
• Duvall has been active and impactful early in her Norse tenure, as she is currently second on the team in scoring at 11.5 ppg. She is also shooting 90 percent from the free-throw line through two games.
 
Last Time Out
Akron outscored Northern Kentucky by nine in the second quarter and the Norse put a run together across the end of the third and beginning of the fourth, but NKU ultimately succumbed to the Zips, 70-60. Akron's torrid shooting in the second, 71 percent on 10-of-14 attempts and 4-for-4 from three, proved to be the difference. NKU owned the glass throughout the game, securing 45 caroms to just 29 for Akron. Turner led NKU in scoring with 15 points, while Garcia and Duvall chimed in with 11 and 10, respectively. Coffey narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and nine boards.
 
Scouting Bowling Green
A 70-60 win over Northern Kentucky's former Horizon League foe Valparaiso serves as the only game of the young season for Bowling Green. Lexi Fleming poured in 24 points for the Falcons, using 7-of-13 shooting from the floor and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. Kadie Hempfling added 10 points, while Elissa Brett hauled in 10 boards. BGSU was picked to finish 11th in the preseason polls.
 
Series Stuff
The two teams have only met once before, with Bowling Green claiming a 78-50 decision over Northern Kentucky in the 1982-83 season. That game was played in Bowling Green, Ohio.