Nov. 30, 1999
NKU BEGINS DEFENSE OF GLVC TITLE AT LEWIS
Norse (1-0) meet Flyers Thursday
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team opened the season last Saturday with a 104-41 win against Union (Ky.) College in Regents Hall. The Norse shot 58.6 percent from the field and forced 38 turnovers to overwhelm the NAIA Bulldogs.
Junior center Julie Cowens made her NKU debut on Saturday and led the Norse attack with 21 points. Cowens, a transfer from Urbana (Ohio) University, made 10 of 15 shots from the field and also grabbed seven rebounds.
Sophomore forward Michelle Cottrell scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Norse. Cottrell made 8 of 12 shots from the field, and she also had four steals. Junior guard Michele Tuchfarber scored 20 points and had four steals. Tuchfarber, last season’s national leader in three-point percentage, also made two of her three attempts from three-point range.
Junior guard Heather Livingstone, a transfer from Winona State University, made her NKU debut on Saturday and responded with 14 points and nine assists. A year ago, Livingstone ranked No. 4 nationally in three-point percentage, and she averaged 13 points per game for Winona State.
Freshman center Kristin Polosky had an impressive debut with the Norse by scoring 13 points, grabbing six rebounds and collecting 10 steals. She also had three blocked shots. Sophomore guard Suzie Smith had nine points, four assists and three steals on Saturday. She also grabbed four rebounds. Freshman Amy Mobley scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds for the Norse in 24 minutes of action.
NATIONAL RANKING: NKU is ranked No. 5 nationally in the NCAA Division II preseason poll. The Norse posted a 30-3 record last season and advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four before falling to Arkansas Tech, 62-57.
POLOSKY STEALS SHOW: NKU freshman center Kristin Polosky had 10 steals in her debut on Saturday, and her 10 thefts were just four shy of the school record (14 by Peggy Vincent in 1979). NKU collected 25 steals as a team on Saturday.
NKU BEGINS GLVC PLAY: NKU opens up its Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule this week with road games at Lewis (Thursday) and Wisconsin-Parkside (Saturday). The Norse will then travel to play at Indianapolis next Tuesday (Dec. 7) night. Last season, NKU won all three of those road games. The Norse won at Lewis by a 69-65 score, and they posted a 94-56 win at Wisconsin-Parkside. NKU won at Indianapolis by a 79-68 score last season.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST LEWIS: Shannon Smith scored 18 points and made a pair of crucial free throws late in the game as NKU rallied to defeat Lewis, 69-65, on Feb. 6, 1999, at Romeoville, Ill.
In their first meeting of last season, NKU posted a 77-59 win over the Flyers in Regents Hall. Michelle Cottrell scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead NKU.
TWO YEARS AGO AT LEWIS: Two years ago, on Feb. 14, 1998, NKU was held to a school-record low of 40 points during a 58-40 defeat at Lewis. The 40 points equaled the previous low of 40 (set in 1984 against Western Kentucky) for a Norse women’s basketball team.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST UW-PARKSIDE: Shannon Smith scored 20 points, and Michelle Cottrell added nine rebounds as NKU crushed Wisconsin-Parkside, 94-56, on Feb. 4, 1999, at Kenosha, Wis.
In their first meeting of last season, NKU defeated the Rangers, 75-39, in Regents Hall. Cottrell had 22 points and eight rebounds to lead the Norse, who have never lost (9-0) to the Rangers.
PERKINS/NKU CLASSIC SET FOR DEC. 10-11: The annual Perkins/NKU Classic will take place Dec. 10-11 in Regents Hall. Edinboro (Pa.) will play Lake Superior State in the first game at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 10, followed by NKU taking on Lander (S.C.) at 7:45 p.m.
The consolation game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, and the championship game will be played at 7:45 p.m. NKU won the Perkins Classic last season with a 67-55 victory over Delta State.