NKU’s Angela Healy

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team will look for its 15th consecutive victory at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday when the Norse visit Louisville, Ky., to meet Bellarmine.

NKU is 20-3 overall after defeating Saint Joseph’s, 76-51, on Saturday in Regents Hall. The Norse extended their winning streak to 14 straight games and improved to 13-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Bellarmine is 11-12 overall after defeating Indianapolis by an 80-72 score on Saturday. The Knights are 7-8 in the GLVC.

20-WIN SEASON: NKU has reached the 20-win mark for the first time since the 2002-03 season. This is the 13th time under head coach Nancy Winstel that the Norse have won at least 20 games.

BALANCED SCORING = WINS: Four NKU players scored in double figures in the win over Saint Joseph’s, led by Nicole Chiodi’s 12 points. Karmen Graham added 11 points, while Brittany Winner and Katie Butler each scored 10. NKU placed 11 players in the scoring column on Saturday.

STREAKING ALONG: The 14-game winning streak is NKU’s longest since the 1999-2000 season, when the Norse ran off 24 consecutive victories en route to the NCAA Division II national championship.

NORSE DEPTH: In the last two games, NKU’s bench has produced 65 points and 28 rebounds.
Against Indianapolis last Thursday, NKU’s reserves contributed 32 points and 14 rebounds. On Saturday, the bench added 33 points and 14 rebounds.

INSTANT OFFENSE: NKU junior forward Katie Butler averaged 12 points off the bench during the two wins last week. In the victory over Indianapolis, Butler scored 10 of her 14 points in the first half. She came back against Saint Joseph’s with 10 points, all in the second half. Butler averages 4.7 points per game.

BLOCK PARTY: NKU leads the GLVC in blocks (4.78 bpg), and the Norse feature two of the top five individuals in that category. Sophomore center Angela Healy is third in the GLVC at 1.26 bpg, and freshman forward Cassie Brannen is fifth at 1.00 bpg.

ON THE DEFENSIVE: NKU continues to lead the GLVC in field-goal percentage defense (.357) and scoring defense (53.4 ppg).

KNIGHTS HALL JINX: NKU has lost five straight games in Knights Hall. The Norse have not defeated Bellarmine in Louisville since Jan. 30, 1999, when NKU posted a 59-47 win over the Knights.

The Norse did not play at Bellarmine during the 1999-2000 season due to the GLVC’s unbalanced schedule. NKU suffered a 77-66 loss last year in Knights Hall.

Michelle Cottrell (left)

EARLIER THIS SEASON AGAINST BELLARMINE: On Jan. 28, Brittany Winner scored six points in the final two minutes of the game - including a jumper with 13 seconds left to snap a 64-all tie - as the Norse rallied for a 66-64 win in Regents Hall.

Winner’s jumper with 2:02 left tied the score at 61-all. With 1:26 remaining, she drained another jumper from 17 feet to give NKU a 63-61 lead. Winner capped her performance with an 18-foot jumper with 13 seconds remaining in the game to give NKU the victory.

COTTRELL RECOGNIZED ON SATURDAY: Former NKU standout Michelle Cottrell, named to the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball 25th Anniversary Team last week, was recognized between games of Saturday’s doubleheader with Saint Joseph’s.

The NCAA named five athletes and one coach to the Division II Women’s Basketball 25th Anniversary Team for their achievements while competing and coaching in NCAA championship competition. The NCAA is celebrating its 25th year of women’s championships in 2005-06.

Cottrell, a graduate of Boone County High School, finished her career as NKU’s all-time scoring leader with 2,241 points, and she was named Kodak NCAA Division II All-American three times. Cottrell also earned Division II Bulletin National Player of the Year honors as a junior and senior.

In addition, she was named GLVC Player of the Year three times. Cottrell earned most outstanding player honors at the 2000 NCAA Division II Elite Eight after leading NKU to the national championship with an overtime victory against North Dakota State.

Cottrell finished her career with 48 double-doubles, and NKU advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight three times during her career.