By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter
Freshman Kailey Coffey scored 14 of her career-high 19 points in the fourth quarter and overtime period Sunday as the Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team rallied from a 19-point deficit to defeat Illinois-Chicago, 61-53, at BB&T Arena.
NKU’s Kailey Coffey (23) shoots against UIC on Sunday afternoon at BB&T Arena. (Chloe Smith)
Coffey, who scored nine points during the fourth-quarter rally, netted two baskets and a free throws in the overtime. Her final bucket gave NKU a 55-53 lead and began a game-ending 8-0 by the Norse.
Mikayla Terry scored 16 points for NKU, which improved to 5-14 overall, 3-5 in the Horizon League. Coffey grabbed 12 rebounds for the Norse, while teammate Molly Glick added 13 points and collected four steals.
Glick scored a pair of buckets in the final minute to seal the NKU victory. Jazmyne Geist hauled in 10 rebounds and blocked a team-leading three shots for the Norse.
Brittany Byrd scored 19 points for UIC, which fell to 7-12 overall, 0-8 in the Horizon League. The Flames — who owned a 19-point advantage late in the third quarter — committed 28 turnovers and shot just 32.3 percent from the field.
NKU finished with a 36-26 advantage in points in the paint, and the Norse scored 19 points off the 28 UIC turnovers.
NKU travels to Youngstown State on Thursday for a 7 p.m. Horizon League game.
WKU MEN FALL TO MIDDLE TENNESSEE: Nick King and Giddy Potts combined for 44 points Saturday night as Middle Tennessee State held off Western Kentucky, 66-62, at sold-out E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green.
King finished with 28 points as MTSU won the Conference USA showdown and improved to 14-5 overall, 6-1 C-USA. Potts added 16 points for the Blue Raiders, who snapped WKU’s seven-game winning streak in front of 7,759 noisy fans – the second-largest crowd since the arena’s renovation in 2002.
Dwight Coleby led WKU with 19 points, while Justin Johnson finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Taveion Hollingsworth added 12 points for the Hilltoppers (14-6 overall, 6-1 C-USA), and Scott High School graduate Jake Ohmer scored three points and had an assist.
