ROCHESTER, Mich. – Senior Kailey Coffey closed the regular season with a career performance as the Northern Kentucky women's basketball team defeated Oakland, 88-75, on Saturday afternoon. The win improves the Norse to 7-10 on the year and 7-5 in Horizon League action. The Golden Grizzlies slide to 12-11 overall and 12-8 in league play.
 
The win helped Northern Kentucky secure the No. 8 seed in the Horizon League Tournament, as the final seedings and brackets were announced by the league office this evening. The Norse host Robert Morris on Thursday, Feb. 25.
 
STATS LEADERS 

• Coffey scored a career-high 27 points behind efficient 9-of-10 shooting from the floor. She made 9-of-13 free throws and contributed seven rebounds and three assists.
• Lindsey Duvall and Ivy Turner both added 16 points. Duvall grabbed seven rebounds and distributed four dimes. Turner registered six rebounds and three assists.
• NKU's other two starters, Kennedy Igo and Grayson Rose, also chipped in double-figure performances with 12 points apiece.

 
TURNING POINT

• Following a 14-2 run by Oakland that ended at the midway point of the third quarter, Northern Kentucky faced a 52-49 deficit. However, the Norse countered with 11-unanswered points to regain a lead it would never relinquish.

 
FIRST HALF SUMMARY

• Each side began the game with a few baskets apiece. Igo had the opening three-pointer to go along with two-point buckets by Rose and Duvall, as well as a Coffey and-one.
• Approaching four minutes left in the first, a Coffey layup began a small run for the Norse to end the quarter. Duvall sank a pair of shots and Rose continued her sharpshooting from a day ago for a three-pointer, giving NKU the 22-16 edge heading into the second.
• Igo made a repeat of the first and opened the second with another deep shot. A pair of layups by Coffey then kept the Norse out front, 33-24, with 6:21 left in the half.
• After seven-unanswered points went in for Oakland, NKU responded with nine of their own, stretching the Norse lead back out to 11.
• NKU went into the locker room with a 42-35 lead over the Golden Grizzlies.

 
SECOND HALF SUMMARY

• Coffey started the new half with a layup down low. The senior then went to the line on two occasions, hitting 3-of-4 shots to keep the Norse out in front.
• Oakland piled on a 12-0 run to erase the Norse lead and go up, 50-47. Carissa Garcia gave the Norse a much-needed score at the 5:06 mark in the third and then dished to Rose for a layup on the next Norse possession.
• The Norse offense shifted into gear after that, running out on an 11-0 run to regain the lead.
• NKU closed the third quarter with a 64-54 advantage.
• The early portions of the fourth period saw the teams trading scores. Oakland was able to cut the NKU advantage to seven points on several occasions, but were never able to get within two possessions.
• Northern Kentucky eventually extended its lead to as many as 15 on a Rose layup with with 4:04 remaining.
• Efficient shooting in the second half keyed NKU. The Norse made 17-of-32 (53 percent) of their attempts.

 
GAME NOTES

• Northern Kentucky finished the game with a season-high 20 assists. In the two games against Oakland, the Norse dished 37 total.
• NKU's 52 percent shooting (32-of-62) was its second-best shooting percentage of the season, trailing just its 56 percent (31-of-55) effort against Purdue Fort Wayne on Dec. 20.
• Five Norse also registered double figures in the scoring column today. Yesterday's game against Oakland marked the first time NKU had five players post double-figure scoring this season.

 
UP NEXT

• Northern Kentucky earned the No. 8 seed in the Horizon League Championship and will host No. 9 seed Robert Morris in the first round on Feb. 25. Game time is yet to be determined.