INDIANAPOLIS – A frenetic fourth quarter that featured an 11-0 Norse run and four lead changes in the final 36 seconds saw Northern Kentucky women's basketball team drop a heartbreaking 50-49 decision to Green Bay, as the Phoenix regained the lead for the final time with just three seconds left. The Norse end their season at 20-12, while the Phoenix advance to the championship final at 19-12.
STATS LEADERS
- Ally Niece scored a game-high 20 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter behind 4-of-6 shooting.
- Molly Glick tallied 11 points in the contest, including a trio of threes and a 2-2 effort at the charity stripe.
- Emmy Souder hauled in eight rebounds, which were nearly matched by seven from Grayson Rose.
TURNING POINT
- Green Bay's Frankie Wurtz scored with three seconds left to put the Phoenix ahead by one, 50-49.
FIRST HALF SUMMARY
- The first half was a low-scoring affair with the Phoenix taking a 28-19 advantage into the locker rooms.
- NKU led after the first quarter, 11-9, thanks to a pair of and-ones from Niece, who scored six points in the stanza.
- The Norse held the Phoenix to just 21 percent shooting in the frame.
- Green Bay responded in the second quarter, outscoring Northern Kentucky, 19-8, thanks to 57 percent shooting.
- Despite only making two field goals in the second quarter, NKU trailed by just a pair of points at 21-19 following a Kailey Coffey free throw. However, Green Bay scored the final seven points over the last 1:55 of the half.
- Rebounding totals were close, as GB held a slight 22-18 advantage.
SECOND HALF SUMMARY
- Glick started the third quarter with a corner three and moments later the Norse put together an 8-1 run to pull within a pair, 32-30.
- The Norse outscored the Phoenix, 12-9, in the frame to cut the deficit to six, 37-31, headed into the final 10 minutes of action.
- NKU's defense was once again stout in the third, limiting GB to 22.2 percent (2-of-9 shooting), which included an 0-for-4 effort from three. The Norse also scored six points off of six Phoenix miscues.
- Niece buried a three to open the fourth and pull the Norse back within a possession, but the Phoenix countered with the next seven points to push back ahead by double figures, 44-34.
- After the two teams traded a pair of points each, the Norse scored six-straight thanks to two free throws from Coffey and consecutive layups by Niece.
- Ivy Turner continued the Norse scoring parade with another layup before Niece completed yet another and-one to give NKU its first lead since the six-minute mark of the second quarter. The 11-0 Norse run was highlighted by their defense, which limited the Phoenix to 0-for-3 from the floor and forced four turnovers.
- Green Bay regained the lead with a Wurtz basket with 19 seconds on the clock, but Turner fought through the lane for a contested layup to put Northern Kentucky back on top, 49-48, with 6.3 seconds remaining.
- Wurtz answered again with the game-winning bucket with three ticks on the clock.
- NKU outscored GB, 18-13, in the quarter.
GAME NOTES
- With her start on Monday afternoon, Glick moved into a tie with Christine Roush for the most games started as a Norse with 123. Her 125 games played match Roush and Angela Healy for the fifth-most in program history.
- Glick finished her career with 1,262 points, which is tied with Healy for 18th all-time. Glick also sank 210 3-pointers in her time as a Norse, finishing third in program history.
- The 20-point outing from Niece was her sixth of the season, third in the last four games and fourth in the last six contests. In that six-game span, Niece averaged 19.7 ppg.
- Northern Kentucky's 20-win campaign is the first of its Division I era.
- NKU forced 15 turnovers in the contest, turning them into an 18-11 advantage in points off of miscues.
- The Norse also made 14-of-17 (82 percent) free throws in the contest.
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