CLEVELAND – The Northern Kentucky women's basketball program once again put a scare into the Horizon League regular-season champion Cleveland State, but their spirited comeback attempt fell just short as the Vikings collected an 88-78 victory in the Horizon League Quarterfinals on Thursday night.
 
THE FACTS
FINAL SCORE: Northern Kentucky – 78, Cleveland State – 88
LOCATION: Wolstein Center – Cleveland, Ohio
RECORDS: NKU: 11-20 (8-12 HL), CSU: 28-4 (18-2 HL)
 
BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN
- Carter McCray: 29 points, 14 rebounds, four steals, three assists, one block
- Noelle Hubert: 12 points, one helper, one swipe
- Kailee Davis: 9 points, three assists, one board, one steal
- Khamari Mitchell-Steen: 8 points, four helpers, three rebounds, two rejections, two swipes
- Macey Blevins: 6 points, five assists, four boards, one steal
 
NORSE NOTES
- McCray saved her best for last as she finished with a season and career-high 29 points to go with a game-best 14 rebounds, four steals, one assist and a block. The standout freshman concludes her first season with the program with 346 rebounds, a mark that ranks second all-time in school history. To go with leading the Horizon League in rebounding, McCray was the top-ranked freshman nationally in total boards and double-doubles, amongst numerous other categories.
- The Norse may have ended the season 11-20, but the squad went 9-7 over their last 16 games overall to make a run to the Horizon League Quarterfinals.
- It was a back-and-forth opening quarter as Cleveland State held a slight 22-19 after 10 minutes of action.
- The Vikings then went on a run in the second to win the frame by a 30-12 margin to make it a 52-31 game.
- Northern Kentucky battled back with a 24-18 third to cut the CSU lead to 70-55.
- The Norse got as close as six at 74-68 with 5:46 left on the clock, but the comeback attempt was just a little too late as the Vikings closed out the 88-78 victory.
 
 
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