Karyn Creager keyed NKU’s 22-6 run

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Nancy Winstel and her Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team made sure their Christmas break would be jolly Thursday with a 74-55 victory against NCAA Division I member Loyola (Ill.).

Karmen Graham scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead NKU, which used a 22-6 run in the second half to pull away and defeat the Ramblers (0-11). Karyn Creager keyed the run with six points as NKU (7-3) knocked off a Division I opponent for the first time since Dec. 8, 1993, when the Norse posted a 79-60 win over Morehead State.

“I thought defensively we played very well the whole game,” said Winstel, who is 5-1 against the past six Division I opponents which have visited Regents Hall. “Offensively, we had our spots where we threw the ball away.

“When we ran our stuff, we were very effective, and I thought we did a much better job in the second half.”

Graham, a 6-foot-1 junior post player who scored 48 points in two games during the Sunday Challenger Classic earlier in the week, used 6-for-8 shooting from the field to key NKU’s win against Loyola. She also connected on a pair of 3-point shots and had two assists.

Angela Healy scored 13 points and added eight rebounds for NKU, which shot 52.6 percent from the field. The Norse held Loyola to 37.5 percent shooting from the field and forced 25 turnovers.

NKU used a 15-0 run in the first half to turn a 22-20 deficit into a 35-22 lead. Cassie Brannen powered in for a pair of baskets to start the run, and Brittany Winner capped the spurt with a jumper to give NKU a 13-point advantage.

Winner, Creager and Nicole Chiodi combined for 10 assists before halftime. NKU finished with 18 assists as a team.

Karmen Graham gets a second-half assist

“That just shows team play, making the extra pass for the person who is a little more open,” Healy said of the 18 NKU assists. “I thought we played together well as a team, and it was nice to finally get some stuff going on offense to go along with our defense.”

A basket by Emily Ponder drew Loyola with 40-37 with 15:30 remaining in the game, but Chiodi and Creager countered with back-to-back layups to extend the NKU lead to 44-37. After Ponder scored to make it 44-39, Brannen muscled her way to a basket while being fouled. She added the free throw to give the Norse a 47-39 lead with 12:56 left.

Graham made two free throws to give NKU a 49-39 lead, and the Norse led by double figures the remainder of the game. Creager and Chiodi ended the run with consecutive baskets as the Norse owned a 62-43 advantage with 7:59 remaining.

“Other than our foul shooting, I thought we did a very good job in the second half,” Winstel said of her team’s 56.3 percentage from the charity stripe.

“I was a little frustrated with our foul shooting,” she added. “That’s just not good enough. I think it’s just relaxing, taking advantage of people being sent to the free-throw line. But it wasn’t just one person. It was everybody. We just have to do a better job.”

Creager finished with 11 points and four assists for NKU. Jenna Real led Loyola with 26 points, and Notre Dame Academy graduate Marquise Hanser added 16 points.

Hanser entered Thursday’s game averaging 18 ppg, and she was 6-for-18 from the field.

Winner scored eight points, dished out five assists and had three steals, while Chiodi had six points, five assists and two steals. Brannen finished with seven points and four rebounds.

NKU will play host to Brescia on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m.

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