Feb. 14, 2001

NORSE PLAY AT KWC ON THURSDAY

NKU now 20-2 after win at Indianapolis

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team is 20-2 after posting a 72-38 victory over the University of Indianapolis on Tuesday. NKU is 14-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and in sole possession of first place in the GLVC standings. NKU is ranked No. 1 in the Great Lakes Region poll, and the Norse are seeking to host the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament for the third straight year. The No. 1 team in the Great Lakes Region will play host to the NCAA Tournament, and the pairings will be announced on Sunday, March 4. Michelle Cottrell scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds Tuesday night to lead NKU past Indianapolis. Cottrell’s double-double was the 33rd of her career. Julie Cowens added 17 points for NKU, ranked No. 6 nationally in the Division II poll. AGAINST THE GLVC: The Norse are 59-5 in their last 64 games against GLVC opponents. The Norse are also 16-2 on the road against GLVC foes during the last two seasons. COTTRELL APPROACHES NO. 2 ON SCORING LIST: NKU junior forward Michelle Cottrell now has 1,560 career points and ranks No. 3 on the NKU all-time scoring list. She needs just 26 points to move past Barb Harkins (1,585 career points) into second place on the Norse’s all-time scoring list. Peggy Vincent is NKU’s all-time leading scorer with 1,883 career points, and Cottrell is on pace to surpass that total sometime in the middle of next season. Cottrell leads NKU in scoring at 17.9 points per game, and she leads the GLVC in field goal percentage at 62.6 percent. She also averages 7.9 rebounds per game. 20 WINS AGAIN: NKU head coach Nancy Winstel has now won at least 20 games in 10 of her 18 seasons at NKU. The Norse have also posted three 19-win seasons under Winstel. NKU has won at least 30 games the past two seasons. SMITH MAKING AN IMPACT: NKU junior guard Suzie Smith scored 10 points and made all three of her three-point attempts during NKU’s 72-38 win at Indianapolis on Tuesday. During the last three games, Smith has averaged 8.7 points and 2.3 assists for the Norse. She is shooting 55 percent from three-point range this season and averages 5.0 ppg. COWENS ON TARGET: NKU senior center Julie Cowens has scored in double figures the past three games. She has averaged 16.0 ppg during that three-game streak. ABOUT KENTUCKY WESLEYAN: The Panthers are 8-14 after upsetting Bellarmine, 84-74, Tuesday night in Owensboro, Ky. Kentucky Wesleyan has won three straight games and is 5-11 in the GLVC. The Panthers are led by senior center Crystal Martin, who averages 14.0 ppg and 7.7 rebounds per game. Martin is shooting 58.2 percent from the field and has 18 blocked shots. Martin scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds Tuesday night to lead the Panthers to the upset win over Bellarmine. THE LAST TIME AGAINST KENTUCKY WESLEYAN: Earlier this season on Jan. 20 at Highland Heights, Ky., Heather Livingstone scored a career-high 26 points as NKU defeated Kentucky Wesleyan, 93-57, in Regents Hall. Livingstone made her first 10 shots from the field before finally missing. She finished the game 11 of 13 from the field with four assists and three steals. Kristin Polosky added 13 points. Bridget Flanagan and Suzie Smith both scored 12 points for the Norse, who made 60.7 percent of their shots from the field. NKU held Kentucky Wesleyan to 32.8 percent shooting from the field. THE SERIES AGAINST KENTUCKY WESLEYAN: NKU leads the all-time series with Kentucky Wesleyan, 34-3. The Norse have won the past five games against the Panthers. Kentucky Wesleyan’s last win against NKU came during the 1997-98 season, when the Panthers upset the Norse in overtime, 74-72, at Owensboro, Ky. BIG ROAD GAME ON SATURDAY: NKU will travel to Louisville, Ky., Saturday night for a 5:45 p.m. GLVC showdown with Bellarmine in Knights Hall. Bellarmine, which was upset at Kentucky Wesleyan on Tuesday, is ranked No. 20 nationally in the Division II poll.