Nancy Winstel (left) and Connie Myers

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - If the Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team is going to a earn a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament for a seventh consecutive season, the Norse will likely have to win the upcoming Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.

But as NKU proved Thursday night with a 58-55 win over Quincy, capturing the GLVC Tournament title is possible if the Norse take care of the basketball and play solid defense. NKU’s defense was particularly tough late in the second half, when it held Quincy to just two points during the final 4:54 of the game to rally from a 53-48 deficit.

Connie Myers scored 20 points to lead NKU, while Karmen Graham added 13 points. Graham also drained a three-pointer with 2:20 left to give NKU a 55-53 lead, and the Norse extended the advantage to 56-53 with 38 seconds remaining when Myers made one of two free throws.

Jessica Stuckman converted a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left to bring Quincy within 56-55. Graham was fouled with 24 seconds left, but she missed the front end of the bonus and Quincy rebounded with a chance to take the lead.

Elizabeth Burrows, however, deflected a pass to cause a Quincy turnover and NKU regained possession. Brittany Winner made one of two free throws to give the Norse a 57-55 lead, and Quincy promptly committed another turnover with six seconds left.

Karyn Creager made one of two free throws to extend NKU’s advantage to 58-55 with five seconds remaining. Quincy had a final chance to tie the game, but the Lady Hawks were unable to get a shot off before the buzzer.

Burrows added nine points, seven rebounds and five steals for NKU, which improved to 15-11 overall, 12-7 in the GLVC. The Norse also snapped a four-game losing streak during the past two seasons against Quincy (18-8 overall, 15-4 GLVC). A year ago, Quincy defeated NKU three times, and the Lady Hawks knocked off the Norse earlier this season.

“Late in the game, it looked like it was over and we came out and got a steal. We went zone, and we got a couple steals and a couple misses,” NKU head coach Nancy Winstel said. “Then we got a couple easy baskets. (Elizabeth Burrows) got a steal and made a breakaway basket.”

Burrows’ steal and basket with 3:08 left cut Quincy’s lead to 53-52, setting the stage for Graham’s key three-pointer. Burrows’ defense late in the game disrupted Quincy’s ability to deliver the ball inside to Stuckman.

Connie Myers was 8-for-10 at the line

“Really, I saw that they were not cutting to the ball very hard, and that’s just what people do when there is an open floor,” Burrows said. “It’s getting to be the last two games of the year and my career, and I guess you just do the little things to get the win.

“We helped out on Stuckman a little more than we had been because they weren’t really making their outside shots like they had been, but I think we just came together to pull it out.”

Stuckman finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead Quincy, which bolted out to a 10-0 lead. The Lady Hawks led by as many as 12 points in the first half before settling for a 34-27 advantage at the break.

“Even when we were down 10-0, I was not happy, but I felt like we had a shot,” Winstel said. “We kept battling, and I think that says a lot about our character. I thought everybody battled, and we just made some plays. Our goal at halftime was to try and keep it close enough and see what happens at the end, see if we could pull one out, and darned if that isn’t what happened.”

NKU held Quincy to just 28.6 percent shooting from the field in the second half. The Norse also limited the Lady Hawks to one field goal during the final eight minutes of the game, that being a layup by Alicia Ordner at the 5:37 mark.

In the first meeting Jan. 29 at Quincy, NKU was without an injured Graham. The 6-foot-1 sophomore played a pivotal role during the win Thursday night.

“You can’t even begin to describe how much of a difference she makes,” Burrows said of Graham. “There are no stats for everything that she does. She hustles. She works hard. She is able to get you some offensive boards. We’re not just getting one shot, we are getting two with her. She’s just a competitor, and she’s just got the fight in her that helps with her teammates.”

Graham added five rebounds, five assists and two steals against Quincy. Brittany Winner finished with nine points, three assists and three rebounds for NKU.

Myers, who was 8-for-10 at the free-throw line, said the win could be a turning point for NKU.

“It was great for our team. This win tonight is hopefully going to give us a lot of momentum going into the conference tournament,” she said. “We’re optimistic. We’re determined that anything can happen.”