HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky women's basketball program is officially hitting its stride as the Norse defeated Horizon League foe Oakland, 90-82 in a Horizon League clash inside Truist Arena on Friday night.
With the victory, NKU has now won two games in a row and four of its last six conference contests overall to put itself right back in the race in the Horizon standings.
THE FACTS
FINAL SCORE: Northern Kentucky – 90, Oakland – 82
LOCATION: Truist Arena – Highland Heights, Kentucky
RECORDS: NKU: 6-15 (4-8 HL), OAK: 9-12 (5-8 HL)
BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN
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Macey Blevins: 30 points, six rebounds, four assists
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Carter McCray: 23 points, 12 boards, one steal
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Khamari Mitchell-Steen: 18 points, five rebounds, four helpers, one block, one swipe
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Kailee Davis: 9 points, four assists, one board
NORSE NOTES
- Blevins went off for a career-best 30 points as she shot 10-of-18 from the field (.555) and 5-of-10 from beyond the arc (.500). The point total tied for the eighth-most recorded by a Horizon League student-athlete in a game so far this season. She also set a career-best in made field goals (10) and made three's (five). It was just the fourth time in NKU's NCAA DI history that a Norse student-athlete has gone for 30-plus points against a DI opponent.
- McCray posted her 10th double-double of the season, and her sixth double-double in her last seven games played, as she went for 23 points and 12 rebounds. It was her fourth contest of the season with 23-plus points and her 13th game of the year with double-digit boards. She continues to lead the Horizon in rebounding (10.8 rebounds per game) and is sixth in the conference in scoring (14.4 points per contest). To make the evening even more impressive, 10 of her 12 boards were on the offensive end. It was her second game of the year with 10-plus offensive rebounds.
- Mitchell-Steen continued her hot play of late as she was all over the court with 18 points, five boards, four assists, a block and a swipe. She has now averaged 23.5 points per game over her last two contests. It was her 13th game of the year with double-digit points.
- Davis (nine points, four assists, one rebound),
Noelle Hubert (four points, five boards, one helper),
Kalissa Lacy (three points, three rebounds) and
Gabby Razzano (three points, six boards) also chipped in for NKU.
- It was all Norse in this one as Northern Kentucky won the first (19-14), second (19-12) and third (26-22) quarters to take a 64-48 lead into the final frame.
- Oakland tried to make a move in the final 10 minutes, but the damage was already done as NKU collected the 90-82 win.
- It was the first time NKU dropped 90-plus points in a game since the Norse went for 101 in a three-overtime win over Lipscomb on Thursday, November 10, 2022.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
POST GAME PRESSER
NEXT UP
Northern Kentucky hits the road for a conference showdown with Green Bay, set for Thursday, February 8 at 8 PM ET inside the Kress Center. The Horizon League battle
will be played in front of a national audience on ESPN+.
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