---Nicole Chiodi

ERIE, Pa. - This is why head coach Nancy Winstel repeatedly says the leadership of seniors Angela Healy and Nicole Chiodi is crucial for the Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team.

Healy and Chiodi combined for 37 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and six steals as NKU rallied for an 83-67 victory over Mercyhurst (Pa.) on Tuesday. Healy netted 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Chiodi scored 17, finished with five rebounds and collected five steals.

Mercyhurst (1-2) took a 37-30 halftime lead by holding NKU to 33.3 percent shooting from the field. The Norse, however, rallied behind their two seniors in the second half.

After a 3-pointer by Karen Brackman gave NKU a 49-48 lead, Healy and Chiodi followed with back-to-back big plays. First, Healy went inside for a conventional three-point play to extend the Norse advantage to 52-48 with 10:44 remaining.

Healy then came up with a steal on Mercyhurst's next possession. Brackman found Chiodi open for a 3-pointer, and the senior guard drained the trey while being fouled. She converted the free throw to cap the four-point play and give NKU a 56-48 edge with 10:09 on the clock, and the Norse (2-0) maintained a comfortable lead the remainder of the game.

---Angela Healy

Healy, a graduate of Highlands High School, shot 8-for-10 from the field and made all three of her free throws. The 6-foot-1 center helped NKU finish with a 36-12 advantage in points in the paint.

Chiodi, a Newport Central Catholic graduate, dished out four assists. She also finished 12-for-15 from the free-throw line as the Norse defeated Mercyhurst for the second straight year.

Cassie Brannen finished with 17 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots for NKU, which was 33-for-45 from the line. The Norse were 27-for-35 in the second half as Mercyhurst watched five players foul out of the game.

Brackman scored 10 points, grabbed three rebounds and added three assists. Junior guard Danyelle Echoles finished with a career-high 12 points to give the Norse five players in double figures.

NKU, which is ranked 18th nationally in the NCAA Division II poll, begins Great Lakes Valley Conference play Nov. 29 with a road game against Quincy. The Norse conclude the trip Dec. 1 with a GLVC showdown at Southern Illinois at Edwardsville.

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