Karmen Graham

ST. LOUIS - Karmen Graham scored 13 of her 20 points in the second half as Northern Kentucky University posted a 67-57 win over Missouri-St. Louis on Thursday in the Mark Twain Building.
 
Connie Myers added 13 points and five rebounds as NKU improved to 6-7 overall, 4-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Norse shot 52.6 percent from the field in the second half and limited Missouri-St. Louis (2-9, 0-7 GLVC) to just 31.6 percent shooting for the game.

“We needed a big win to stay in the race for the GLVC,” said NKU head coach Nancy Winstel.

NKU held a 23-20 halftime lead despite shooting 28 percent from the field in the first half. Myers chipped in six of her 13 points in the first half.

With 13:15 left in the second half, Missouri-St. Louis cut the Norse lead to two points, 31-29, on a jumper by Leslie Ricker. NKU responded with an 11-0 run capped by a two-point basket by Karyn Creager to take the 42-29 lead.

The Riverwomen cut the NKU lead to six points, 60-54, with 1:04 remaining in the contest. Graham scored six points in the final minute to put the game away for NKU.

“I thought Graham did some really good things and stepped up for us tonight,” Winstel said.
 
Creager finished with 12 points for NKU, which used 29-for-38 shooting from the free-throw line to seal the victory. The Norse were 22-for-28 in the second half.

Brittany Winner added eight points and seven rebounds for NKU, which leads the all-time series with Missouri-St. Louis by a 13-2 margin. The Norse are now 8-1 in the Mark Twain Building.
 
Elizabeth Burrows finished with seven points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Norse. Kali Birkey led Missouri-St. Louis with 20 points.
 
Myers has scored in double figures in six consecutive games for NKU, which will meet Southern Indiana at 2 p.m. Saturday in Evansville, Ind.