Brittany Winner led NKU to the GLVC title

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team will meet Michigan Tech at 2 p.m. (EST) Friday in the first round of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Tournament at Springfield, Mo.

NKU enters the NCAA Tournament with a 26-4 record after winning the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship with an 86-73 victory over Drury on March 5. The Norse enter the Great Lakes Regional as the No. 3 seed and are ranked 21st nationally in the Division II poll.

Michigan Tech is 19-8 overall and is the No. 6 seed. The Huskies are members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The NKU/Michigan Tech winner will play the Grand Valley State/Ashland winner at 7 p.m. Saturday. The championship game is set for March 13 at 8 p.m.

Drury is the top seed and host for the Great Lakes Regional.

AND THE WINNER IS...: Brittany Winner scored a career-high 30 points as NKU captured the GLVC Tournament championship last Sunday in Roberts Stadium. Winner shot 10-for-13 from the field and made all nine of her free throws as NKU won its first GLVC title since 2000.

The 5-foot-10 junior forward also grabbed seven rebounds, handled the ball flawlessly against the Drury pressure and was named the most outstanding player of the tournament. Winner averages 9.6 points per game and five rebounds. She has also made 81.4 percent of her free throws and is second on the team in assists with 70.

THE BUTLER DID IT AGAIN: NKU junior forward Katie Butler also played a key role in the Norse’s win against Drury with 15 points off the bench. Butler made all seven of her free-throw attempts and grabbed three rebounds. Butler averages 5.4 ppg.

CLUTCH SHOOTING: NKU made its final 15 attempts from the line to ice the game against Drury. The Norse finished 31-for-34 from the free-throw line in that contest.

CHIODI KEYS VICTORY: NKU sophomore point guard Nicole Chiodi scored 12 points against Drury and made a key 3-pointer late in the second half. Drury had sliced a 10-point NKU lead to 67-64 with just under three minutes remaining.

Chiodi found an opening on the right wing and launched a shot from behind the arc that found the bottom of the net to give the Norse a 70-64 advantage with 2:44 left on the clock.

Karmen Graham was named first team All-GLVC

GRAHAM EARNS HONOR: NKU junior forward Karmen Graham was named to the GLVC’s all-tournament team. Graham averaged 19 points in the first two games of the GLVC Tournament, but she was limited to two points against Drury after getting into foul trouble.

Graham leads NKU in scoring at 14.3 ppg and rebounding.

GLVC HONORS: Winstel was also selected as the GLVC Coach of the Year. This marks the sixth time Winstel has earned GLVC coach of the Year honors.

Graham was named first team All-GLVC by the league coaches. NKU junior guard Karyn Creager earned All-GLVC honorable mention accolades. Creager averages 9.4 ppg and is shooting 85.7 percent from the free-throw line. Creager also leads NKU in 3-pointers made with 41.

MICHIGAN TECH/NKU HISTORY: NKU and Michigan Tech have met twice in women’s basketball, and both games were during the NCAA Tournament. In the 1999 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Tournament championship game at Highland Heights, Ky., Michelle Cottrell’s stick-back basket at the buzzer gave NKU a 65-63 win over Michigan Tech and a trip to the Elite Eight.

In the final seconds of that game with the score tied at 63-all, NKU worked the ball inside to Shannon Smith. Her short jumper missed, but Cottrell grabbed the offensive rebound and laid the ball in just as the final buzzer sounded.

The following season, on March 10, 2000, Cottrell scored a basket with six seconds remaining in the game as NKU edged Michigan Tech, 60-59, in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region in Regents Hall.

Cottrell’s basket came off an offensive rebound after a miss by NKU’s Bridget Flanagan. Cottrell, who had 29 points and 15 rebounds, powered her way inside for the basket to give NKU a 60-59 lead.

Michigan Tech’s Clara Goggins attempted a 3-pointer in the final seconds, but the shot was off target and NKU would go on to win the NCAA Division II national championship 15 days later in Pine Bluff, Ark.

NKU AGAINST THE GREAT LAKES REGION FIELD: NKU is 5-1 against the regional field this season. The Norse are 1-1 against Drury, 2-0 against Lewis and 2-0 against Quincy.

NKU’S NCAA HISTORY: NKU owns a 19-14 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament, and the Norse captured the 2000 NCAA Division II national championship at Pine Bluff, Ark., with a 71-62 overtime victory against North Dakota State.

Three years ago, NKU defeated Grand Valley State, Indianapolis and Quincy to win the Great Lakes Region title at Indianapolis, Ind. The Norse also posted wins against Washburn (Kan.) and California (Pa.) at St. Joseph, Mo., before falling to South Dakota State in the national championship game.

This marks the seventh time in the last eight years NKU has earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Norse had their streak of six straight NCAA berths snapped last season.

TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Prices are $42 for an all-sessions pass, $12 per session for chairback seats, $8 for general admission and $5 for students. Call J.J. Carney in the Drury ticket office at (417) 873-7265 for more information.

Fri., March 10 (all times Eastern)

NCAA II Great Lakes Region Tournament

Springfield, Mo. - Weiser Gym (2,200)

NKU (26-4) vs. Michigan Tech (19-8), 2 p.m.

Grand Valley State (27-3) vs. Ashland (21-10), 4 p.m.

Drury (28-2) vs. Quincy (20-9), 7 p.m.

Lake Superior State (21-7) vs. Lewis (18-10), 9 p.m.

Radio: All NKU games will be broadcast on WIOK (107.5 FM)

NKU/MTU Series Record: NKU leads, 2-0

Last Meeting: NKU 60, MTU 59 (3-10-2000)

Sat., March 11

Great Lakes Region semifinals

NKU/MTU winner vs. GVSU/AU winner, 7 p.m.

DU/QU winner vs. LSSU/LU winner, 9 p.m.

Mon., March 13

Great Lakes Region championship, 8 p.m.