After tying a career high in her last game against Kentucky, junior Sarah Kinch eclipsed her career mark with 19 points on Saturday night to help the Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team defeat IPFW, 77-64, at BB&T Arena.
Christine Roush and Shar’Rae Davis joined Kinch in reaching double figures. Roush posted 16 points and a career-high four blocks to help the Norse post nine swats on the night.
Davis registered 12 points in her first seven minutes of action en route to 14 total points on the night and her first double-double of the season. She led the Norse with 12 rebounds including eight on the defensive end to help NKU win the rebounding battle 41-31.
Christine Roush and Shar’Rae Davis joined Kinch in reaching double figures. Roush posted 16 points and a career-high four blocks (NKU Athletics Photo)
NKU (6-2) held the Mastodons (3-5) to 33.9 percent shooting from the floor after a strong defensive performance.
A pair of double-figure runs in the first half helped the Norse get out to a 41-26 advantage at halftime that they would not let up.
After trading buckets to open the game, the Norse took off on a 13-2 run sparked by a triple from Sarah Kinch at the 4:12 mark. Davis capped off the run and the quarter with six uninterrupted points. The Norse defense held IPFW to a single field goal over the final 5:47 of the first half to lead 22-13 entering the second period.
A pair of treys from Davis in the second quarter helped the Norse score eight-straight points that led to a 10-2 run. The run helped the Norse extend their lead to 30-16 with 7:13 remaining in the half.
The Norse defense continued to dominate, holding the Mastodons to three field goals in the second quarter. NKU took a 41-26 lead to the locker room at the intermission.
The third quarter saw four different Norse contribute to an 11-2 run over a five minute span to hand NKU a 58-33 advantage with 1:57 remaining.
IPFW fought back with a 9-0 run to open the fourth quarter, but the Norse did not allow the Mastodons to come within 12 points throughout the remainder of the contest.
NKU will take a week off before continuing its home stand against West Virginia State on Sunday, Dec. 13. The game will be played at the front end of a double-header at BB&T Arena, followed by a match-up between the NKU men’s basketball team and Norfolk State at 7 p.m.
NORSE NOTES:
· The NKU bench has outscored opponents’ reserves 79-33 over the last two games after outscoring IPFW’s reserves 42-14 on Saturday.
· Kinch has scored 35 points in the last two games after tying her career mark against UK and eclipsing it against IPFW.
· The game was head coach Dawn Plitzuweit’s 100th game at NKU as well as Christine Roush’s 100th game as a Norse.
Norse men fall to Eastern Illinois
The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team waged a back-and-forth battle with Eastern Illinois on Saturday night with the Norse falling, 79-73, in overtime of a game that saw 16 lead changes and 13 ties at Lantz Arena.
Lavone Holland II scored a career-high 17 points and came three assists shy of a triple-double after leading the Norse with seven assists and 12 rebounds, including 11 on the defensive glass. The sophomore also posted a career-best four steals.
With the game locked in a 62-all tie heading into overtime, the Panthers’ Cornell Johnston handed EIU (2-4) a three-point edge on a triple with 4:13 left. A pair of Jordan Garnett free throws and a layup from Holland helped the Norse (1-5) reclaim their lead at 67-66 with 3:33 remaining.
The lead would be NKU’s last of the game as the Norse struggled with a pair of miscues and Eastern Illinois went 3-for-4 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free throw line over the final three and a half minutes of play to seal its victory.
Holland was joined in double figures by Jalen Billups with 15 points, including five in overtime. Tyler White followed with 12 points.
Johnston scored 10 points in overtime to lead the Panthers with 24 points on the night.
In the first half, NKU used the perimeter to battle back from an early 7-2 deficit. Triples from Cole Murray and a pair from Tyler White to put together a 9-2 run. The run handed NKU its first lead of the game at 11-9 at the 16:51 mark.
The Norse fought to stay within six points of the Panthers throughout the remainder of the first half as NKU trailed by one point at halftime, 32-31.
The Norse returned to the court and rode a 7-2 run to regain the lead at 38-34 courtesy of a Billups jumper at the 17:52 mark.
After Billups tied the game at 58-all, a Holland dunk and a pair of Giesler free throws put NKU at a two-point advantage with 37 seconds remaining. EIU’s Johnston sank a jumper to tie the game at 62 with 17 seconds left and force overtime.
The contest wrapped up a three-game road swing for the Norse, as they will return home to take on Norfolk State Sunday Dec. 13. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at BB&T Arena and will follow the NKU women’s basketball game against West Virginia State at 4:30 p.m.
NORSE NOTES:
· Billups’ 15 points on the night gave him just what he needed to reach 900 career points. He is the 31st Norse player to do so.
· Holland has reached double-figures in all six contests this season, the only Norse to do so. He also now has two double-doubles in his first six games for NKU.
· Despite the loss, NKU won the rebounding battle, 45-34.
From NKU Athletics
