The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team is set to host Horizon League rival Wright State to open a string of three in a row at BB&T Arena.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. with the action carried live on ESPN3.
Saturday’s game is NKU’s Box Out Cancer event. The Norse will be wearing special pink uniforms that will be auctioned off following the game to benefit the American Cancer Society, and the first 500 fans in attendance will receive a pair of pink touchscreen gloves, and fans wearing pink will receive free admission.
Game Information
Wright State University Raiders (18-6, 8-3 Horizon)
Northern Kentucky University Norse (14-8, 6-5 Horizon)
Feb. 13 – 7 p.m.
BB&T Arena (9,400) – Highland Heights, Ky.
TV: ESPN3 // Andrew Kappes (play-by-play) and Brandon Cole (analyst)
Series History: NKU leads, 12-3
Last Time Out – Christine Roush poured in 19 points and helped the Norse use a third-quarter surge to take a 68-50 win over Valparaiso last Saturday. NKU went on a 16-0 run to open the second half and put the game out of reach and close a perfect 4-0 stretch on the road in Horizon League play. Kasey Uetrecht added 14 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Courtney Roush chipped in 12 points on the day.
About Wright State – The Raiders stand at 18-6 overall and 8-3 in Horizon League play after wins over Valparaiso and UIC last weekend. Kim Demmings, the Horizon League’s all-time leading scorer, is averaging 20 points and 5.8 rebounds per game to lead the Raiders’ offense. Emily Vogelpohl follows up at 12.4 points per game and Antania Hayes addes 12 points and 7.7 boards per game.
As a team, Wright State is shooting 41.9 percent from the field, to rank fourth in the League, while WSU’s 78.0 points per game and 13.5 point margin of victory leads the League.
The Series – NKU holds a 12-3 lead in the all-time series against Wright State dating back to the 1981-82 season, though Wright State has has taken each of the last two meetings, including a 66-61 result in Horizon League play back on Jan. 9.
Christine Roush scored 13 of her 16 points in the second half, while Shar’Rae Davis added 11 points and Kasey Uetrecht scored eight points and pulled down a career-best 14 rebounds.
Kim Demmings scored 22 points to lead Wright State’s effort, followed by Richelle van der Keijl with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Road Ready – NKU’s victory over Valparaiso on Feb. 6 marked the team’s seventh road win of the season, setting a new high-water mark for the Norse in the Division I era. NKU had won six games away from BB&T Arena in each of the previous three seasons.
The win also marked NKU’s fourth-consecutive road victory this year, leaving the Norse just one short of their Division I record of five-straight road wins, set at the conclusion of the 2012-13 season when NKU took wins over South Carolina Upstate, East Tennessee State, Lipscomb, Mercer and Kennesaw State on the road.
Fast Break Points
• NKU returns home after a four-game road trip to host Wright State in a Horizon League showdown.
• The Norse have won four straight games, the longest active streak among Horizon League teams entering Saturday’s play.
• NKU has averaged 74.0 points per game this season to rank third among Horizon League squads.
• NKU’s overall turnover margin of +3.8 ranks second in the Horizon League and 39th in the nation.
• The Norse have forced 15 or more turnovers in 19 of their 22 games this season, and have forced 83 errors in their last five games.
• The Norse rank third in the League in FG shooting (42.6%) and lead the League in 3-point (36.4%) and FT shooting (78.2%).
• NKU’s 78.2 percent free-throw accuracy ranks fourth among all Division I programs.
• NKU outscored Valparaiso 27-7 in the third quarter on Saturday, marking their largest quarter margin since Dec. 16 (+27 vs. IU-Kokomo).
• The Norse are knocking down 8.2 treys per game, ranking second among Horizon League squads.
• G Christine Roush led the Norse with 19 points in Saturday’s win over Valparaiso.
• Roush is averaging 15.7 points per game to lead the Norse and rank sixth in the Horizon League.
• Roush also stands as one of the nation’s top free-throw shooters, ranking third among active D-I players at 87.1 percent on her career.
• F Courtney Roush has averaged 15.8 points over the last four games, ranking second on the team over the span.
• On the season, Courtney Roush is scoring 8.1 points in just 12.9 minutes per game; her 58.7 FG percent ranks second in the Horizon League.
• F Molly Glick is shooting 46.2 percent from long-range in Horizon League games, ranking third among League sharpshooters.
• G Rianna Gayheart needs five assists to pass Natalie Ochs (1985-89) for 12th on NKU’s career list.
NKU men wrap up road trip at Chicago
The Northern Kentucky men’s basketball team will wrap up a two-game road trip with a visit to Chicago for a Horizon League matchup with UIC, which toppled Wright State in its last outing and has won two of its last three contests. Saturday’s contest is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start.
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (9-15 Overall, 5-8 Horizon League)
UIC Flames (4-19 Overall, 2-10 Horizon League)
Saturday, Feb. 13 – 4 p.m. (ET)
UIC Pavilion (8,000) in Chicago, Ill.
TV: ESPN3
Radio: ESPN1530 (1530 AM) with Jim Kelch (Play-by-Play) and Steve Moeller (Analysis)
Fast Break Points
• NKU outscored league-leading Valparaiso, 32-26, in the second half, but fell, 64-52.
• NKU’s defense stiffened down the stretch, outscoring Valpo 12-3 and limiting it to 1-of-9 shooting over the final seven minutes.
• NKU also outrebounded Valpo, 20-17, in the second frame.
• G Cole Murray’s 21 points led NKU past UIC, 82-69, in overtime in the first ever meeting between the two teams earlier this year.
• NKU now has three wins over teams in the RPI top-200 this year, the most since begining the reclassification process four years ago.
• F Jalen Billups led the nation w/ 69.6% shooting last year, and is among the nation’s leaders (t-10th) at 61.4% (127-207) this year.
• Billups ranks among NKU’s all-time leaders in FG % (2nd, .629), blocks (5th, 124) & blocks per game (11th, 1.1).
• Billups’ career 62.9 percent shooting sits just outside the top-25 all-time in the NCAA.
• Billups and G Tyler White are climbing NKU’s all-time scoring list. Billups ranks 20th w/ 1,141 points & White is No. 25 (1,016).
• White joined NKU’s 1,000-point club with a driving lay-up with 15:32 left in the first half versus Milwaukee. He now has 1,016 points.
• White is averaging career-highs in scoring (11.0) and assists (3.9).
• Murray has made 65.8 percent (25-of-38) of his threes in the last seven games.
• Murray has had the hot hand from long range, shooting 48.8% (62-of-127) from behind the arc this year, No. 4 (tied) in the nation.
• F Drew McDonald is a two-time #HLMBB Freshman of the Week recipient and is averaging 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in league games.
• G Lavone Holland II is second on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg) and third in rebounds (5.1 rpg), but leads NKU in assists (4.3 apg).
• White (93) and Holland (98) are on pace to give NKU two players with 100 assists or more for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
From NKU Athletics