Angela Healy scored 17 points

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - As expected, Northern Kentucky University had little trouble with Brescia (Ky.) on Thursday night, and the result was a 63-42 Norse victory in Regents Hall.

NKU head coach Nancy Winstel, however, was not overly impressed by her team’s performance against the 1-13 Lady Bearcats of the NAIA.

“I thought we were sloppy,” Winstel said after her team committed 19 turnovers and shot just 48 percent from the free-throw line. “Brescia is a team that’s going to come in here and play you hard. Everybody is going to play hard.

“We have to learn how to compete at a high level all of the time, and we don’t understand that yet. Even when we play really good teams, we’re not ready to perform. It’s very frustrating to watch.”

NKU (8-3) led by as many as 31 points in the second half and was never threatened by Brescia. The Norse took a 27-15 lead into halftime despite shooting just 29.4 percent from the field.

“During the first half of this game, they were giving us the wide-open jump shot, and we weren’t able to make it. But we were taking it and you’ve got to fight through it and shoot the ball,” Winstel said. “On the other hand, we were taking so many outside shots, and you’ve got to get the ball inside and get our big girls touches.

“I thought in the second half we started to settle in. I thought we did a very good job with the lineup we had in there. I thought Karen Brackman was a good player in the second half for us.”

Karmen Graham gets double-teamed

In the second half, NKU made 65 percent of its shots from the field and coasted past the Lady Bearcats. Angela Healy led the Norse with 17 points, eight rebounds and four steals. The sophomore center also had three blocked shots and was 7-for-12 from the field.

“Angela’s feisty and has a real competitive attitude about her,” Winstel said. “When things don’t go right, she gets down on herself more than anything else. But I think she’s got some fire under her. She defends, rebounds, understands the game, and has leadership abilities.

“She’s just a sophomore, but she’s not afraid to get after somebody and tell them when they’re not doing something right.”

Karmen Graham added 11 points and six rebounds for the Norse, who won the rebounding battle by a 43-29 margin. Karyn Creager scored nine points - all on 3-point field goals - for NKU, while teammate Betsey Clark finished with eight points and four assists.

Brittany Winner came off the bench and grabbed eight rebounds for the Norse. Winner also added four assists in 23 minutes of play.

NKU built a 59-28 lead with 6:12 left in the game on a jumper by Danyelle Echoles. Brescia closed the contest with a 14-4 run as Paula Carver scored five of her team-leading 14 points.

Brescia shot just 36.4 percent from the field and turned the ball over 23 times. The Lady Bearcats also struggled with their free throws and converted just 8-of-18 attempts.

NKU now leads the series with Brescia, 2-0.

The Norse resume Great Lakes Valley Conference play Jan. 5 when Kentucky Wesleyan visits Regents Hall for a 5:30 p.m. game. NKU is currently 2-2 in the GLVC.

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