Feb. 11, 2002

NKU PREPARES FOR BELLARMINE

NKU (18-4, 14-2) hits road for important GLVC game

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team is 18-4 after rallying for a 56-52 win at the University of Indianapolis on Saturday. The Norse, who have won five straight games, are 14-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and in first place in the league standings by two games over the University of Southern Indiana. NKU will meet Bellarmine University at 5:45 p.m. this Thursday night in Louisville, Ky. The Norse will also play at Kentucky Wesleyan College at 6:15 p.m. Saturday. Michelle Cottrell scored 15 points Saturday to lead NKU past Indianapolis. Cottrell, who missed the previous six games with a stress fracture in her right foot, gave NKU a 53-52 lead with 1:52 remaining by making a layup while being fouled and converting the free throw. Suzie Smith hit a pair of free throws with 1:10 left to give the Norse a 55-52 lead, and Jessica Brock blocked Amanda Davidson’s three-point attempt in the closing seconds to preserve the victory. Amy Mobley converted a free throw with six seconds remaining to give the Norse a 56-52 advantage. NKU, which trailed 26-21 at halftime, shot 48 percent from the field in the second half to rally for the win. Dana Schubeler added 12 points and 10 rebounds for NKU. SCHUBELER EARNS GLVC HONOR: NKU senior center Dana Schubeler has been named GLVC co-Player of the Week. Schubeler averaged 18.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and made 68 percent of her shots from the field as the Norse swept two road games last week. She shared the honor with Southern Illinois at Edwardsville’s Ruth Kipping. COTTRELL APPROACHES 2,000 POINTS: Cottrell needs just five points to reach the 2,000-point plateau. She is NKU’s all-time leading scorer with 1,995 points. Cottrell averages 17.8 points per game and 9.9 rebounds, but she has not played in the required 75 percent of NKU’s GLVC contests to qualify for the statistical leadership in those categories. FLANAGAN LEADS GLVC IN THREE-POINTERS MADE: NKU junior guard Bridget Flanagan continues to lead the GLVC in three-pointers made per game at 2.55. Flanagan has connected on 56 of 138 attempts and also ranks No. 4 in the GLVC in three-point percentage at 40.6 percent. STREAKS END FOR MOBLEY, POLOSKY: Amy Mobley’s streak of games in double figures ended at nine on Saturday when she was held to four points at Indianapolis. Kristin Polosky, who had scored in double figures in four straight games since coming off the bench, finished with two points at Indianapolis. BROCK MAKES BIG IMPACT: NKU sophomore forward Jessica Brock is playing her best basketball of the season. Brock scored 11 points during a 92-70 win at Saint Joseph’s last Thursday. She came back with six points and a key block late in the game against Indianapolis on Saturday. ABOUT BELLARMINE: The Knights are 15-7 after suffering an 82-72 loss at Saint Joseph’s College on Saturday. Bellarmine, which has lost three of its last four games, is now 10-6 in the GLVC and tied with Southern Illinois at Edwardsville for fourth place in the conference standings. Bellarmine features junior guard Nickie Randall, who averages 16.6 ppg. Randall has made 39 of 98 three-point attempts and she leads the Knights with 119 assists. Sophomore forward Lynne Johnson averages 16.3 ppg and 6.9 rebounds. THE LAST TIME AGAINST BELLARMINE: Earlier this season on Jan. 19, Lynne Johnson and Nickie Randall both scored 23 points as Bellarmine defeated NKU, 72-59, in Regents Hall. Randall added five steals as Bellarmine handed NKU its first loss in the GLVC. Bellarmine built a 38-31 halftime lead as Johnson scored 14 points. The Knights held NKU to just five points during the first 10 minutes of the second half and coasted to the victory. Amy Mobley led NKU with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Kristin Polosky added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Norse, who made just 35.1 percent of their shots from the field. THE LAST TIME IN KNIGHTS HALL: Last season, on Feb. 17 in Knights Hall, Nickie Randall scored four points in the final 45 seconds as Bellarmine rallied to defeat NKU, 78-75. Randall hit a 10-foot jump shot with 45 seconds remaining to give Bellarmine a 76-75 lead. She later made two free throws with 15 seconds left to give the Knights a 78-75 advantage. NKU built a 46-33 halftime lead behind the play of Michelle Cottrell, who scored 17 of her 21 points in the first half. Bellarmine switched to a zone defense in the second half, but NKU made just three of 17 three-point attempts in the final 20 minutes. For the game, NKU made seven of 27 three-point attempts. The 27 three-point attempts set an NKU single-game record. ABOUT KENTUCKY WESLEYAN: The Panthers, who play host to the University of Indianapolis on Thursday, are 6-18 overall, 2-15 in the GLVC. Lydia Purvis averages 12.6 ppg to lead the Panthers. Leslie Warren is scoring 12.5 ppg, and Kami Vaal averages 12.4 ppg for Kentucky Wesleyan. THE LAST TIME AGAINST KENTUCKY WESLEYAN: Earlier this season on Dec. 6, Michelle Cottrell scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as NKU defeated Kentucky Wesleyan, 81-73, in Regents Hall. Bridget Flanagan added 16 points for NKU, while Amy Mobley scored 13 points and had three assists. Kristin Polosky scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds. NKU leads the all-time series with Kentucky Wesleyan, 36-3. The Norse have not lost to the Panthers since the 1997-98 season and own eight consecutive victories against Kentucky Wesleyan.