The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team opens play in the Women’s Basketball Invitational on Thursday evening, welcoming South Carolina Upstate into BB&T Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., with the action carried live on ESPN3.
Game Information
Women’s Basketball Invitational – First Round
No. 8 University of South Carolina Upstate Spartans (20-11)
No. 1 Northern Kentucky University Norse (19-13)
March 17 – 7 p.m.
BB&T Arena (9,400) – 7 p.m.
TV: ESPN3 // Betsy Ross (play-by-play) and Kaitlyn Gerrety (analyst)
Series History: NKU leads, 7-0
Last Time Out – It was a heartbreaker in double overtime as Jen Wellnitz’s putback with 0.6 seconds remaining sent Green Bay to the Horizon League Championship game after an 80-78 win over NKU on March 12. Kasey Uetrecht posted her second-career double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Christine Roush followed up with a 16-point effort.
About USC Upstate – The Spartans enter the WBI as a No. 8 seed after advancing to the Atlantic Sun Conference semifinals, where they fell to eventual tournament champion Jacksonville, 67-56. Brittany Starling is one of the nation’s top rebounders, and enters Thursday’s contest averaging a double-double at 15.4 points and 12 boards per game after claiming First-Team All-A-Sun honors. Brittany Clency (10.6) and Kristen Dickerson (10.5) are also averaging in double figures for scoring.
The Series – The Norse have seen victory in each of their seven meetings with the Spartans dating back to the 2013-14 season. When last the teams met, Melody Doss scored 14 points and Kaitlyn Gerrety added 13 points and seven rebounds as the Norse took a 64-45 win over Upstate in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship. Christine Roush added nine points and six rebounds while Faith Sanders chipped in eight points and five boards as the Norse advanced on to the A-Sun Championship game.
Fast Break Points
• NKU has qualified for the WBI for the fourth-consecutive year and serves as a first-round host for the third-straight season.
• NKU averaged 75 points in its three #HLWBB Championship games and allowed just 64 points.
• NKU holds a +1.7 rebounding margin and a +4.3 turnover margin in its last two games.
• The Norse have forced 15 or more turnovers in 27 of their 32 regular-season games, and have forced 91 errors in their last five games.
• The Norse ranked third in the Horizon League in FG shooting (42.1%) and led the League in 3-point (35.6%) and FT shooting (77.9%).
• NKU’s 77.9 percent free-throw accuracy ranks eighth among all Division I programs.
• The Norse have knocked down 263 treys this season, ranking 14th nationally.
• F Kasey Uetrecht was tabbed as a part of the #HLWBB Championship All-Tournament Team, averaging 17.7 points and 7.3 boards in three games.
• Uetrecht also posted a pair of five-assist games, setting a new career mark in the category.
• Uetrecht stands as one of NKU’s most potent threats from long range, hitting 40 percent of her treys to rank third in the Horizon League.
• G Rianna Gayheart averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 assists and 3.0 steals per game last week at the #HLWBB Championship.
• F/C Molly Franson (10.7) and F Molly Glick (10.0) have also averaged in double digits in postseason play.
• Uetrecht (177) and F Rebecca Lyttle (158) are third and seventh, respectively, on NKU’s Division I season rebounding list.
• With 516 points, G Christine Roush lays claim to NKU’s highest season scoring total in the Division I era.
• Christine Roush leads the Horizon League and ranks third in the nation in free-throw shooting (90.5%).
• F Courtney Roush is one of the Horizon League’s most efficient shooters, ranking fifth overall (53.1%).
From NKU Athletics