Karmen Graham led NKU with 17 points

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Hillsdale (Mich.) combined tough defense and clutch shooting late in the second half to defeat Northern Kentucky University in the Sunday Challenger Classic on Tuesday night.

The Chargers used their defensive pressure to force 22 turnovers and knocked off NKU, 58-52, in Regents Hall. Hillsdale improved to 10-2 overall, while the Norse dropped to 6-3.

“When you play a good team like Hillsdale, every possession is important,” NKU’s Karmen Graham said. “We had 14 turnovers in the first half and that really hurt.”

Hillsdale took a 26-22 lead - fueled by NKU’s 14 turnovers - into the locker room at halftime. The Chargers used an 11-2 run to turn a 16-15 deficit with 8:09 left into an 26-18 lead with two minutes remaining in the first half.

Hillsdale held an 11-point advantage (39-28) with 12:46 left in the game on a layup by Nikki Wustman, who finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. NKU then went on an 11-0 run - sparked by a Karyn Creager 3-point basket off an assist from Katie Butler - to tie the game with 7:34 remaining.

Graham added five points during the spurt, and Butler capped the run with a 3-pointer to even the score at 39-all.

“I think in the second half we showed a lot of heart,” NKU head coach Nancy Winstel said. “We didn’t back down when we were down 11. We worked hard to get back into the game. We’ve got to understand that against good teams, you have to play hard for 40 minutes.

“I just don’t think that we did that tonight, but they did a great job. You’ve got to give Hillsdale credit.”

Katie Butler attempts a shot Tuesday night

Hillsdale regained the lead on a Wustman layup, which was assisted by Julie Slot. The Norse tied the game at 44-all with less than five minutes remaining on a basket and free throw by Angela Healy, but the Chargers responded with back-to-back 3-pointers from Gretchen Rocco and Lauren Fewins to reclaim the lead for good.

Hillsdale made four free throws in the final minute to hold on for the important regional victory. The Chargers held NKU to 38.3 percent shooting from the field and won despite being outrebounded by a 36-31 margin.

“I thought Hillsdale played very well,” Winstel said. “They play so hard. They execute. They shot very well. They just did a great job tonight. We made plays throughout the game, but we just didn’t make enough. They made more plays than we did.”

Carlson added 15 points, six assists and two steals for the Chargers, while Fewins finished with 11 points.

NKU was led by Graham’s 17 points, six rebounds and one blocked shot, and Creager added 10 points and two steals. Graham, Creager and Cassie Brannen each earned spots on the all-tournament team from NKU.

Wustman, Carlson, Fewins and Rocco were named to the all-tournament team from Hillsdale.

Graham, a junior post player, scored 48 points during the Sunday Challenger Classic. She made 11of 13 free throws on Tuesday and went to the line 25 times in the two tournament games.

Graham’s performance, however, wasn’t enough to lead NKU to a pair of victories in the Sunday Challenger Classic.

“We just need to keep running our plays the way that we know how, instead of just coming down and passing it once and shooting the ball,” Graham said.

The Norse will play Loyola (Ill.) Thursday in Regents Hall at 5:30 p.m. Loyola (0-9) is a member of the NCAA Division I Horizon League.

BOX SCORE

Sunday Challenger Classic

Mon., Dec. 19
Hillsdale 71, Virginia Union 55
NKU 68, West Virginia Wesleyan 48

Tues., Dec. 20
Virginia Union 60, West Virginia Wesleyan 41
Hillsdale 58, NKU 52