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Connie Myers scores against Bellarmine

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - A cold-shooting first half was too much for the Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team to overcome against Bellarmine during the quarterfinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament on Friday.

NKU was held to two field goals during the first 13 minutes of the game and never recovered as Bellarmine coasted to a 62-54 win over the Norse in Roberts Stadium. Bellarmine also converted 28 of its 37 free throws and picked up the victory despite going the final 11 minutes of the game without a field goal.

The fourth-seeded Knights (21-7) scored their final 17 points of the game on the free-throw line and held off a late rally by NKU to advance to the GLVC semifinals. NKU (16-12) shot just 21.4 percent from the field in the first half and also committed nine turnovers before the break.

Lynne Johnson led Bellarmine with 24 points and was 11-for-15 at the line. The Knights jumped out to a 21-6 lead with 7:56 remaining in the first half behind 12 points from Johnson.

NKU's only two field goals during the opening 13 minutes of play were three-pointers by Elizabeth Burrows and Brittany Winner. Bellarmine took a 32-17 halftime lead and increased that advantage to 47-25 with 10:36 left in the game when Ashley Elmore made two free throws.

NKU rallied with a 13-1 run and pulled within 48-38 with 6:06 left when Karmen Glraham hit a short jumper. After Bellarmine stretched the advantage back to 14 points, the Norse sliced the lead to 56-50 with 34 seconds left on two free throws by Sarah Woods. Bellarmine, however, sealed the win by six free throws in the final 24 seconds.

Connie Myers scored 20 points to lead NKU. Myers, a senior forward who was named first team All-GLVC Friday, also grabbed a grabbed 10 rebounds in her final game at NKU.

Senior guard Elizabeth Burrows scored 15 points, grabbed five rebounds and had four steals in her final game with the Norse. Burrows also had three assists and was 7-for-10 from the field.

NKU is ranked 10th in the latest NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region poll, and Friday's loss will probably end the Norse's six-year streak of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. NKU won the 2000 national championship and also advanced to the Elite Eight in 2002 and 2003.