Connie Myers scored 28 points vs. Shaw

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - For much of the first half Monday night, Northern Kentucky University controlled the tempo and kept its turnovers to a minimum against unbeaten Shaw (N.C.).

In fact, NKU led by as many as 10 points during the first half and appeared on its way to an upset over Shaw, which entered the first round of the Sunday Challenger Classic ranked No. 5 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll.

In the second half, though, Joy Hairston took control of the game for Shaw and scored 21 of her 23 points as the Lady Bears rallied for a 74-65 win over NKU. Hairston’s 9-for-15 shooting performance was a key, but Shaw (6-0) also used its quickness to force 26 turnovers - including 15 in the second half - to pull out the win.

“I thought they turned up their defensive pressure in the second half, and I didn’t think we took very good care of the ball,” NKU head coach Nancy Winstel said, “and I thought (Shaw) made some really good shots.

“The first half we were up 10 and we could have been up more than that. We missed some shots which we would have liked to have made, and we turned the ball over.”

After falling behind 39-33 with 15:50 remaining in the game, Shaw used a 25-8 run to take a 58-47 lead. Hairston keyed the spurt for Shaw with 14 points.

Hairston later added a pair of three-point shots as the Lady Bears built a 66-52 advantage with 4:33 left in the game.

NKU rallied and cut the lead to 69-65 on a layup by Karmen Graham with 1:31 remaining, but Kiarsha Curtis drained a pair of free throws to extend Shaw’s advantage to 71-65. Nastassia Boucicault sealed the win for Shaw with a steal and layup with 50 seconds left in the game.

Connie Myers scored a career-high 28 points for NKU, which dropped to 3-6. The senior forward also grabbed 12 rebounds and was 11-for-18 from the field.

“I feel like we are getting better. Even though the score didn’t show us on top, we have improved,” Myers said. “As long as we keep doing that we will be OK.”

Karmen Graham

Graham added 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots for the Norse, who shot 43.1 percent from the field. Karyn Creager scored eight points and had two assists for NKU, while Brittany Winner finished with six points, six rebounds and two assists.

Curtis scored 20 points and had seven steals for Shaw, while Boucicault added 17 points, four assists and four steals. The Lady Bears also used 5-for-11 shooting from three-point range in the second half to assist the comeback.

Shaw will meet Glenville State (4-2) in the championship game of the Sunday Challenger Classic at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Regents Hall. Glenville State posted a 58-49 win over Fort Valley State in the other first-round game Monday night.

In that game, Glenville State rallied from a 28-18 halftime deficit by holding Fort Valley State to 20 percent shooting from the floor during the second half. Rachel Redick scored 26 points to lead the Lady Pioneers to the victory.

NKU will meet Fort Valley State (5-3) in the consolation game at 5:30 p.m. The Norse have never lost twice in their tournament, and Monday’s setback marked just the third time in history NKU dropped a first-round game in the event.

NKU also lost in the first round of its tournament in both 1995 (66-65 to Grand Valley State) and 1996 (68-65 to Edinboro). In all three of the first-round losses, the Norse have scored 65 points.

Winstel is now 498-198 in her 25-year collegiate coaching career that includes three seasons at Midway (Ky.). She needs just two wins to reach the 500-victory plateau. Her 498 career victories rank sixth among NCAA Division II head coaches. In 22 years at NKU, Winstel owns a 459-157 record.