Nancy Winstel

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team will play host to The Sunday Challenger Classic Dec. 20-21 in Regents Hall, and the Norse will open the tournament at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 against Shaw (N.C.) University.

Fort Valley State will take on Glenville State in the other first-round game. The consolation game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Dec. 21, followed by the championship at 7:30 p.m.

Call (859) 572-6639 for ticket information. The broadcast of the NKU games can be heard live on the Internet at http://www.nku.edu/~athletics/0405broadcastpage.htm.

NKU enters The Sunday Challenger Classic with a 3-5 record after posting a 62-45 win over Southern Illinois at Edwardsville last week. The Norse have won three straight games going into The Sunday Challenger Classic.

The Norse held SIUE to just 23.8 percent shooting from the field in the second half to roll to the victory. SIUE led by as many as eight points in the first half, but the inside attack of Connie Myers and Karmen Graham rallied NKU to a 31-29 advantage at the break. Myers scored 12 of her game-high 23 points in the first half, while Graham added five points.

Myers and Graham combined for NKU’s first six points of the second half as the Norse built a 37-30 lead. Angela Healy later keyed a 10-0 Norse run with a pair of baskets as NKU increased its lead to 49-36 with 9:52 remaining.

NKU’s defense limited SIUE to five field goals in the second half. In fact, the Cougars managed just one basket for more than seven minutes during one stretch after halftime.

Myers grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for NKU, which won the battle of the boards by a 37-29 margin. The Norse shot 41.8 percent from the field and forced 19 SIUE turnovers.

MYERS NEARS 1,000 CAREER POINTS: NKU senior forward Connie Myers enters The Sunday Challenger Classic with 955 career points. Myers leads NKU in scoring at 16.0 points per game and is looking to become the 21st player in Norse women’s basketball history to join the 1,000-point club.

WINSTEL CLOSES IN ON 500 CAREER WINS: NKU head coach Nancy Winstel is now 498-197 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 459-156 record. She is also the all-time leader in career wins for Norse basketball.

ABOUT SHAW: The Lady Bears own a 5-0 record and are ranked No. 5 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll. Shaw features senior guard Kiarsha Curtis, who averages 17.2 ppg. Senior guard Joy Hairston comes off the bench and is scoring 16.6 ppg for the Lady Bears.

ABOUT GLENVILLE STATE: The Lady Pioneers, ranked 19th nationally in Division II, are 3-2 after dropping two games in California last week. Glenville State is led by sophomore guard Rachel Redick, who averages 19.6 ppg. Denae Dobbins, a 6-foot-6 junior center, is scoring 11.2 ppg and has a team-leading 26 blocked shots in five games.

ABOUT FORT VALLEY STATE: The Lady Wildcats are 5-2 overall going into The Sunday Challenger Classic. Fort Valley State is led in scoring by senior guard Sherika Tarpkins, who averages 19.7 ppg. Sophomore forward Amanda Ray averages a double-double (12.6 ppg, 10.1 rebounds per game) for the Lady Wildcats.