NKU’s Karyn Creager

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team will open the season at 7 p.m. Wednesday with a home game against Wilberforce (Ohio) in Regents Hall.

The NKU/Wilberforce game will be broadcast live on the Internet at www.nku.edu/~athletics.

NKU, which had its six-year streak of advancing to the NCAA Division II Tournament snapped last season after finishing 16-12, returns three starters in 2005-06.

ABOUT THE NORSE: NKU will feature junior center Karmen Graham, who averaged 11.2 points per game last season. Graham also shot 46.8 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line.

The Norse welcome back junior guard Karyn Creager, who averaged 9.7 ppg and shot 88.5 percent from the free-throw line. In addition, Creager set an NKU single-season record by making 27 consecutive free throws.

Also returning to the NKU lineup is junior forward Brittany Winner, who averaged 6.8 ppg and 3.6 rebounds.

TOUGH TO REPLACE: NKU will have to replace forward Connie Myers, last season’s leading scorer (16.5 ppg) and rebounder (8.6 rpg).

TO THE POINT: NKU sophomore Nicole Chiodi will step in at point guard this season. She will replace graduated floor leader Elizabeth Burrows, who dished out a team-leading 118 assists last season.

Chiodi saw action in 24 games last season and averaged 1.9 ppg and had 18 assists.

IMMEDIATE HELP: The Norse add two Division I transfers, Katie Butler and Angela Estes. Butler, a 6-1 junior transfer from Dayton, averaged 4.8 points per game last season and was 11-for-38 from 3-point range.

During her career at Dayton, Butler was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week in December of 2003. She also scored 15 points in a win over Wright State, and she had 14 points and seven rebounds against George Washington.

A 2003 graduate of Liberty-Benton High School, Butler was named Northwest Ohio Player of the Year as a senior after averaging 25.3 ppg and 10.3 rpg.

Estes, also a 6-1 post player, had 13 steals and seven blocks last season in 25 games for East Tennessee State.

NEW-LOOK GLVC: The GLVC has added three schools from the state of Missouri - Rockhurst, Drury and Missouri-Rolla - for the 2005-06 season. The 14-team GLVC is now split into two divisions, the East and West.

NKU is in the GLVC East along with Indianapolis, Saint Joseph’s, Lewis, Wisconsin-Parkside, Bellarmine and Kentucky Wesleyan. The GLVC West features Southern Indiana, SIUE, Missouri-St. Louis, Quincy, Rockhurst, Drury and Missouri-Rolla.

NORSE PICKED THIRD: NKU has been picked third in the GLVC East preseason poll. Bellarmine was tabbed the preseason favorite in the GLVC East by the coaches. The Knights received five first-place votes and 35 total points.

Lewis (two first-place votes, 32 total points) is picked second in the poll. NKU received 25 points and is third, followed by Indianapolis (20 points) at fourth. Kentucky Wesleyan and Wisconsin-Parkside tied for fifth place in the GLVC East poll.

First-year GLVC member Drury was picked to win the GLVC West with six first-place votes and 36 total points.

SUPER SOPH: Angela Healy, a 6-1 sophomore center from Highlands High School, saw action in all 28 games and started six times last season. Healy averaged 5.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season, and she finished with 29 blocked shots. She also shot 46.6 percent from the field.

ABOUT WILBERFORCE: The Lady Bulldogs are 0-2 after dropping an 89-84 decision to Saint Vincent last Saturday at the Rio Grande Bevo Francis Classic. Seton Hill also defeated Wilberforce by a 70-60 score on Friday in the first round of the Rio Grande Bevo Francis Classic.

Wilberforce is a member of the NAIA, and the Lady Bulldogs posted a 12-14 record last season.

UP NEXT: NKU plays host to Northwood (Mich.) on Nov. 22. The Norse will then travel to Detroit, Mich., for a Nov. 26 game at Wayne State.