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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Northern Kentucky University expects to field one of the nation's top NCAA Division II women's basketball teams this season, and Norse head coach Nancy Winstel is going to make sure her team is prepared by playing two difficult exhibition games against Division I programs. NKU will meet the University of Kentucky in its first exhibition game Nov. 2 at Lexington, Ky. Four days later, the Norse will travel to Bloomington, Ind., to meet Indiana University in another exhibition contest. NKU, which welcomes back five starters from last season's 27-5 team that captured the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship, has not played Kentucky since the 1990-91 season. The Norse have not met Indiana since 1979. After completing its exhibition schedule, NKU will open the regular season Nov. 21 with a home game against Midway (Ky.). The Norse, in fact, play their first five games of the season in Regents Hall. NKU begins defense of its GLVC title Nov. 30 with a home game against Quincy. The Norse's first road game of the season will be a Dec. 9 showdown with GLVC rival Bellarmine at Louisville, Ky. Defending NCAA Division II national champion Grand Valley State will take part in the Travel America Classic Dec. 18-19 in Regents Hall. NKU will meet Northern Michigan on Dec.18, and the Norse play Grand Valley State the following night at 7:30 p.m. NKU and Grand Valley State met in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional in Springfield, Mo., last March. The Lakers defeated the Norse en route to winning the national championship. During the Christmas break, NKU will visit Florida and play St. Rose (N.Y.) and Mercyhurst (Pa.). Those games will be played at Lakeland, Fla., Dec. 28-29. GLVC powerhouse Drury will play host to NKU on Feb. 1 in Springfield, Mo. NKU knocked off Drury in the GLVC Tournament in last season's championship game at Evansville, Ind. This season's GLVC Tournament will again be played in Roberts Stadium at Evansville, Ind., March 1-4. NKU will feature senior post player Karmen Graham, who averaged 14.3 points per game and shot 54.2 percent from the field last season. Graham also earned honorable mention All-America accolades as a junior. Four others seniors - Katie Butler, Karyn Creager, Betsey Clark and Brittany Winner - also return for the Norse. Winner averaged 9.7 ppg and was named the most outstanding player of the GLVC Tournament after pouring in 30 points against Drury in the championship game. Two other starters - junior center Angela Healy (8.8 ppg) and junior point guard Nicole Chiodi (7.2 ppg) - also return for the Norse. |
