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LAKELAND, Fla. - The warm weather in Florida definitely agreed with Angela Healy during Northern Kentucky University's showdown with powerful St. Rose (N.Y.) on Thursday. Healy poured in 24 points and dominated the glass by hauling down 16 rebounds to lead No. 17 NKU past No. 22 St. Rose, 74-63, in the Florida Southern Holiday Classic. Healy's totals were both career highs, and the 6-foot-1 junior added two assists in 28 minutes of action. The former Highlands High School standout was 11-for-14 from the free-throw line and 6-for-9 from the field. "I can't say enough about the play of Angela Healy," NKU head coach Nancy Winstel said. "She has been a rock for us all season and she was outstanding against a very good inside group of players for St. Rose. "She was a little fired up at halftime because it was such a physical game, but I told her we needed her in the game. She agreed and did a great job of battling, and she controlled the rebounding the entire game." Brittany Winner
added 11 points, five steals and four rebounds for NKU (6-3), NKU shook off a slow start and twice led by nine points in the first half. St. Rose, however, rallied and pulled within 31-26 at the break. The Norse held the Golden Knights to 33.3 percent shooting in the first half, but NKU made just 32 percent of its own shots before intermission. "It was one of the best games defensively we have played this season, and we made plays on offense when we had to," Winstel said. "We gutted this one out. It was good for our psyche, because we were coming off a loss (to Grand Valley State) just before Christmas, and we knew we would have our hands full with St. Rose. They are good from both inside and outside, and we had to work for this one." NKU held a 60-52 lead with 4:12 remaining in the game after a basket by Katie Butler, but St. Rose scored the next five points to cut the Norse advantage to 60-57 with 3:22 left. After Butler made one of two free throws, Winner stepped up and made one of the biggest plays of the game by scoring a basket while being fouled off an assist from Karyn Creager. Winner knocked down the free throw to finish the conventional three-point play and extended NKU's lead to 64-57. Healy made five free throws in the final minute to seal the win for NKU. Creager scored nine points and extended her streak of consecutive made free throws to 24. Creager, a senior guard from Leipsic, Ohio, owns the school record of 27 straight made free throws, which she set two years ago. "We are not there yet, but we might look back on our season and say this was the turning point for us," Winstel said. Mary Lewis led St. Rose with 15 points. It marked the first meeting between the two perennial powers since the 2000 NCAA Division II Elite Eight at Pine Bluff, Ark., when NKU knocked off then-No. 1 and unbeaten St. Rose en route to the national championship. NKU will play Mercyhurst (Pa.) at 2 p.m. Friday. Mercyhurst is a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and NKU is 2-1 against teams from that league this season. |
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