Nicole Chiodi shoots a jumper in the lane

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Nicole Chiodi put on a show in her debut as Northern Kentucky University’s starting point guard Wednesday night.

Chiodi scored a team-leading 11 points, dished out six assists and grabbed six rebounds as NKU opened the season with a 71-40 victory over Wilberforce (Ohio) in Regents Hall. The sophomore from Newport Central Catholic also added two steals as the Norse forced Wilberforce into 28 turnovers and limited the Lady Bulldogs to 28 percent shooting from the field.

A year ago, Chiodi saw action in 24 games for NKU and had 18 assists as a freshman. With three-year starting point guard Elizabeth Burrows having been lost to graduation, Chiodi stepped forward and earned the job in the preseason.

In addition to her six assists, Chiodi had just one turnover against Wilberforce.

Karmen Graham added nine points for the balanced NKU attack, which featured 10 players hitting the scoring column. The Norse led by as many as 36 points in the second half and finished with 21 assists as a team.

NKU scored the first nine points of the game and took a 31-10 lead at the half. Freshman forward Cassie Brannen scored eight points before halftime by making all four of her attempts from the field.

Wilberforce shot just 19 percent from the field and committed 19 turnovers in the first half. NKU, meanwhile, hit 41.9 percent from the field and made a trio of 3-point shots before the break.

Karmen Graham powers for a basket

The Norse used a 25-7 run in the second half to build a 61-25 advantage on freshman Karen Brackman’s 3-pointer with 5:30 remaining in the game. The NKU bench totaled 31 points and 18 rebounds against Wilberforce, which dropped to 0-3 this season.

Karyn Creager added seven points and four assists as the Norse gave head coach Nancy Winstel her 512th career victory. Winstel, beginning her 23rd season at NKU, is 473-163 with the Norse.

Angela Healy finished with six points, eight rebounds and two steals for the Norse, while teammate Katie Butler added six points, five rebounds and two blocked shots in her NKU debut. Butler, a transfer from Dayton, also had two assists.

Brittany Winner scored seven points, while Betsey Clark and Danyelle Echoles each finished with six points. Angela Estes added four rebounds and two blocked shots for NKU, which had eight rejections as a team.

Kanisha Coward paced Wilberforce with 11 points, and teammate Gennett McCarver added seven points.

NKU plays host to Northwood (Mich.) on Nov. 22 in Regents Hall. The Norse will then travel to Detroit, Mich., for a Nov. 26 game at Wayne State.

NKU opens Great Lakes Valley Conference play Dec. 1 with a home game against Rockhurst.

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