Shar’rae Davis dropped a career-high 18 points for Northern Kentucky University, but Whitney Knight scored a game-high 21 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the No. 20 Florida Gulf Coast University basketball team to a 60-43 victory to claim the Atlantic Sun Conference championship.
The Norse (19-13) were making their first appearance in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament championship game.
Davis knocked down 6-of-8 attempts from the floor, including a 6-for-7 effort from behind the 3-point arc, to lead NKU, which fell to 19-13 on the year. Kasey Uetrecht added six points for the Norse, while Rianna Gayheart, Kelley Wiegman and Molly Franson finished with five points.
Knight finished 8-for-14 from the floor, dished out two assists and collected three steals to lead FGCU, which improved to 30-2 overall. Kaneisha Atwater added 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for the Eagles, while DyTiesha Dunson scored 10 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the field.
FGCU jumped out to an early 13-0 lead after holding NKU scoreless for over the first 5:59 of the game. Uetrecht put the Norse on the scoreboard with a 3-pointer from the left side at the 14:00 mark.
Duncan hit a mid-range jumper on the next Eagles possession, but Franson knocked down her first collegiate 3-point field goal to bring NKU to within 15-6 with 13:37 remaining in the first half.
With FGCU holding a 19-6 advantage, the Eagles turned the ball over four times, including three charges, over their next five possessions, but the Norse were unable to capitalize on the opportunities as they committed four turnovers of their own.
Davis snapped a five-minute scoring drought for both teams with a trey from the top of the key to cut the NKU deficit to 19-9 with 5:51 left in the opening half. FGCU pushed its lead back to 13 (22-9) less than one minute later, but Davis pulled the Norse back to within 10 (22-12) on the next possession with her second trey of the game with 4:37 on the clock.
The Eagles closed the half on a 10-5 run to take a 32-17 lead into the locker room at the halftime break. FGCU shot 41.4 percent (12-for-29) from the floor in the first half and went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. NKU went 6-for-22 (.273) from the field and knocked down five of its 13 shots from long range.
A Gayheart jumper and Wiegman 3-pointer opened the second half scoring, and the Norse trailed by just 10, 32-22, with 18:17 left to play. The Eagles answered with a 13-2 run over a six minute period to stretch their lead to 45-24 at the 11:49 mark.
NKU used a 14-6 run, led by nine points from Davis on a trio of 3-pointers, to come within 10 (50-40) once more with 4:19 to go, but the Norse were unable to get any closer as Knight was fouled as she drained a 3-pointer and knocked down the free throw to give FGCU a 58-40 advantage with 3:44 left to play.
FGCU finished with a 37-24 advantage in rebounds, including 11 offensive boards, and outscored the Norse, 34-2, in the paint. The Eagles went 23-for-55 (.418) from the floor and connected on 9-of-11 attempts from the charity stripe, while the Norse finished 34.9 percent (15-for-43) from the field.
NKU now awaits its fate as the various postseason tournaments announce the selections. The Norse have accepted invitations to the Women’s Basketball Invitational in each of the last two seasons, claiming the school’s first NCAA Division I postseason victory with an 84-72 win over McNeese State on March 20, 2014, in the first round of the WBI.
From NKU Athletics