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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team begins Great Lakes Valley Conference play on the road this week, starting with a 6:15 p.m. game at Quincy on Thursday. The Norse conclude the road trip Saturday with a 2 p.m. game at Southern Illinois at Edwardsville. Both games can be heard live on WIOK (107.5 FM) and the Internet at www.nkunorse.com. NKU is 2-0 after posting an 83-67 win at Mercyhurst (Pa.) last week. The Norse are ranked 15th nationally in the WBCA’s NCAA Division II poll. SENIORS LEAD THE WAY: NKU’s two seniors - center Angela Healy and point guard Nicole Chiodi - led the way during NKU’s win at Mercyhurst last week. Healy scored 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field and grabbed seven rebounds, while Chiodi netted 17 points and collected five steals. Healy enters GLVC play averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. She is shooting 54.2 percent from the field. Chiodi averages 13.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 3.5 steals per game. ECHOLES EXCELLENT: NKU junior guard Danyelle Echoles scored a career-best 12 points against Mercyhurst. The former Colerain High School standout also added two steals and two assists in that win. For the season, Echoles averages 10.0 ppg. BACK TO FORM: Junior post player Cassie Brannen poured in 17 points against Mercyhurst. The Mount Notre Dame High School product also blocked three shots and pulled down six rebounds in 28 minutes of action. BRACKIE BURNS LAKERS: NKU junior guard Karen Brackman scored 10 points and dished out three assists against Mercyhurst. Brackman’s 3-pointer in the second half gave the Norse a 49-48 advantage, and NKU led the remainder of the game. For the season, Brackman averages 13.5 ppg, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists. GIVE THEM SOME SLACK: NKU played its first two regular-season games without junior guard Jessie Slack, a long-range shooter who sat out due to an injury. Slack enjoyed an impressive debut for the Norse during an exhibition game against the University of Cincinnati on Nov. 1 by pouring in 24 points as NKU dropped a 69-67 decision. Slack buried six shots from 3-point range against Cincinnati. She started 22 games last season at East Carolina and averaged 6.7 points as the Pirates captured the Conference USA championship.
ABOUT QUINCY: The Lady Hawks are 2-2 overall after suffering an 83-51 loss to Missouri Southern on Saturday. Quincy is picked fifth in the GLVC West Division preseason poll after finishing 16-11 overall in 2006-07. The Lady Hawks feature guard Jessica Keller, who averages 17.5 ppg and 7.3 rebounds per contest. THE LAST TIME AGAINST QUINCY: On Nov. 30, 2006, NKU rallied for a 65-63 win over Quincy in Regents Hall. Quincy held a 59-53 lead with two minutes left, but a conventional three-point play by Katie Butler and a basket by Brittany Winner cut the Lady Hawks’ advantage to 59-58 with 1:26 remaining. Janette Burgin made a pair of free throws with 1:06 left to extend the Quincy lead to 61-58, but Butler drained a 3-point field goal to tie the game at 61-all with 58 seconds remaining. Burgin, however, made a pair of free throws with 33 seconds left to give Quincy a 63-61 lead, but Karmen Graham countered by taking a pass from Butler and powering in for a basket while being fouled. Graham converted the ensuing free throw to give NKU a 64-63 lead. After a missed shot by Burgin with 10 seconds remaining, Nicole Chiodi grabbed the rebound and was fouled. She converted one free throw to give the Norse a 65-63 lead. Quincy had a final chance to tie or win, but Shaquita Crawford committed a turnover with 0.5 seconds left and NKU escaped with the victory. NKU shot 56.5 percent from the field in the second half to pull out the victory. Quincy made just 33.3 percent of its shots the entire game, but the Lady Hawks pulled down 21 offensive rebounds. Winner scored 12 points and blocked three shots for NKU, while Graham and Karyn Creager each added nine points. The Norse collected 10 blocked shots as a team. Cassie Brannen had eight points and four blocks for NKU, and Nicole Chiodi finished with seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. NKU leads the all-time series with Quincy, 19-6, and the Norse have won the last four games against the Lady Hawks. THE LAST TIME AGAINST SIUE: On Dec. 2, 2006, Amber Shelton hit a short jumper with 3.8 seconds remaining to give SIUE a 65-64 upset over No. 10 NKU in Regents Hall. The Cougars rallied from a 62-57 deficit in the final 2:34 of the game to defeat NKU in Regents Hall for the first time since 1998. Shelton finished with a game-high 24 points, including 17 in the second half. She did the bulk of her offensive damage off the dribble, either hitting short jumpers or driving to the basket. NKU overcame a slow start and built a 50-44 lead with 11:44 left on Nicole Chiodi’s conventional three-point play. Shelton responded with six straight points to tie the game at 50-all with 8:29 remaining, and Elyse Morris gave the Cougars a 52-50 lead with a layup a minute later. NKU countered with a 10-2 run to take a 60-54 advantage with 4:30 remaining. Angela Healy capped the spurt with a basket off an assist from Betsey Clark. Healy finished with 21 points and nine rebounds. Healy’s basket with 1:29 left gave NKU a 64-61 lead, and that turned out to be the Norse’s final score. Shelton drew a foul with 1:08 left and hit a pair of free throws to bring SIUE within a point at 64-63. She then stole a pass by Chiodi and appeared on her way to a layup, but Winner hustled back and prevented Shelton from scoring by knocking the ball out of her hands. After a timeout, SIUE ran the clock down and put the ball into Shelton’s hands. She maneuvered into the lane and hit a short jumper to give the Cougars the road upset.
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