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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team plays host to Great Lakes Valley Conference rival Southern Indiana this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. NKU, which is 11-3 overall and 4-2 in the GLVC, also entertains Kentucky Wesleyan at 1 p.m. Saturday in Regents Hall. Both of those games this week will be televised live on ICN-6. NKU is ranked 14th nationally in the latest NCAA Division II poll. MUST BE THE SOCKS: NKU junior guard Jessie Slack snapped out of a minor shooting slump during last week’s road trip and averaged 17 points during the two victories. Slack, wearing throwback-style striped socks against then-unbeaten Indianapolis, drained a 3-point shot with 8.9 seconds left in the game to give NKU a 62-60 win in Nicoson Hall. That capped a 21-point performance - all in the second half - for the native of Mt. Perry, Ohio. On Saturday, Slack netted 13 points and was 3-for-3 from long range as the Norse pounded Saint Joseph’s, 79-39. For the season, Slack averages 12.7 ppg and leads NKU in 3-pointers made with 21. She has also converted 82.5 percent of her free throws and has 23 steals. JOIN THE CLUB: NKU senior center Angela Healy enters this week with 967 career points. The Highlands High School product could join the 1,000-point club this weekend in front of the home fans. Healy averages 15.3 points and a GLVC-leading 10.8 rebounds per game. She is also No. 1 in the GLVC in blocked shots with 1.79 rejections per game. TORRID FROM THE OUTSIDE: NKU entered last week shooting just 27.7 percent from 3-point range, but the Norse connected on 16 of 29 (55.2 percent) attempts from long range during the road sweep. NKU raised its 3-point percentage to .313 with that two-game performance. SUPER SUB: NKU junior guard Karen Brackman scored 15 points off the bench to lead the Norse past Saint Joseph’s. Brackman was 6-for-10 from the field and made a pair of 3-point shots. She also added three assists and four rebounds in 24 minutes of action. CHIODI KEYS NORSE: NKU senior point guard Nicole Chiodi leads NKU in assists (3.93 apg) and steals (27). The Newport Central Catholic High School graduate also averages 9.9 ppg and 6.4 rebounds.
HOLLIDAY’S TREYS: NKU freshman guard Diondra Holliday buried a trio of 3-point shots in the first half against Indianapolis last week en route to scoring a career-high nine points. Holliday also dished out two assists in that victory at Indianapolis. BRANNEN NEARS 700: NKU junior post player Cassie Brannen enters this week with 656 career points. The Mount Notre Dame High School graduate averages 13.4 ppg and is shooting 58.1 percent from the field. ABOUT SOUTHERN INDIANA: The Screaming Eagles are 7-6 overall, 2-3 in the GLVC. Southern Indiana is coming off a 65-50 win over defending GLVC champion Lewis. Senior forward Jasmine Baines averages 18.6 ppg to lead Southern Indiana. Baines is shooting 51.5 percent from the field and also averages 6.2 rpg. THE LAST TIME AGAINST SOUTHERN INDIANA: On Jan. 20, 2007, Brittany Winner scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds as NKU posted a 70-56 victory over Southern Indiana at Evansville, Ind. Winner also collected five steals and was 9-for-11 from the free-throw line as the Norse finished 32-for-44 from the line. Cassie Brannen added 14 points and five rebounds for the Norse, who won the battle on the glass by a whopping 43-29 margin. Karyn Creager scored 13 points and dished out four assists, while Angela Healy finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. NKU jumped out to a 22-9 lead and coasted. When Katie Butler drained a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left before halftime, the Norse owned a 34-16 lead. Southern Indiana hit three free throws in the final seconds to close the gap to 34-19 at the break. THE LAST TIME AGAINST KENTUCKY WESLEYAN: On Feb. 15, 2007, NKU rolled to a 76-45 win over Kentucky Wesleyan in Regents Hall. The Norse blocked 12 shots as a team and held the Panthers to 24.3 percent shooting from the field. Brittany Winner finished with 18 points to lead NKU, while Nicole Chiodi and Karen Brackman each scored 11.
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