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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - For the second straight exhibition game, Northern Kentucky University held its own with a high-profile Division I women’s basketball program. A week ago, it was NKU contesting the University of Kentucky in a hard-fought battle before losing in the end. On Monday night, the Norse forged a 26-24 halftime lead over Indiana in Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers, however, rallied in the second half for a 74-61 win over NKU. Freshman guard Jamie Braun's game-high 14 points paced the Hoosiers. Indiana also blocked nine shots and collected 12 steals to pull away from the Norse. "We beat a good opponent," Indiana head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. "Northern Kentucky is a fantastic team who has a well-seasoned coach. Our players were resilient. Our shots weren't falling at the beginning, but we stayed true to our defense. It was a collective effort today." Indiana used a 22-2 run midway through the second half to build a 48-34 lead. The Hoosiers led the remainder of the way and cruised to the win over the Division II Norse. "Kentucky is more like a Corvette, more finesse. Meanwhile, I look at Indiana and they're more like a diesel, or maybe a tank,” said NKU head coach Nancy Winstel, comparing the two programs her team faced in exhibitions. “Indiana has a ton of power, which is exactly what you think of when you think of Big Ten basketball." Indiana and NKU traded baskets in the opening minutes of the contest that included three lead changes. The Hoosiers extended their lead to 17-13 with just under eight minutes into the half thanks to three unanswered baskets from Braun and freshman forward Michelle Carr. With four minutes remaining in the first stanza, the Norse knotted the score at 19-19. Sarah McKay netted her first 3-pointer of the game which put IU back on top, 22-20, with just under a minute left in the half, but a half-court shot by Nicole Chiodi just before the buzzer gave Northern Kentucky the 26-24 halftime lead.
"Chiodi is three-for-three on those half-court shots. She had one in our intra-squad scrimmage, then another in practice this past week,” Winstel said. “I just hope she hasn't run out of them yet." Sophomore post player Cassie Brannen led NKU with 12 points off the bench, and senior forward Katie Butler tossed in 11 points in a reserve role. Junior center Angela Healy scored eight points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for NKU, which shot 17.2 percent in the first half and still managed to own the lead. The Norse won the rebounding battle by a 42-41 margin and shot 27-for-34 from the free-throw line. "We've played two tough exhibition games, and we hope that they'll make us better,” Winstel said. “You want to win these games, but you also want to learn something along the way." The Norse will begin their regular season at home on Nov. 21 against Midway (Ky.). Winstel began her coaching career at Midway, and she can earn her 500th victory on the NKU sideline against that very school in the opener. Winstel owns a 499-168 record at NKU. She has a 538-209 overall record in 26 seasons as a collegiate coach.
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