Feb. 19, 2002

NKU CLOSES OUT HOME SEASON

Norse to host UM-St. Louis, Quincy this week

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team is 19-5 after posting an 80-73 win at Kentucky Wesleyan College on Saturday. The Norse are 15-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and hold a one-game lead over the University of Southern Indiana (21-5 overall, 14-4 GLVC) in the league standings. NKU will close out its home season this week with games against the University of Missouri-St. Louis (5:30 p.m. Thursday) and Quincy University (1 p.m. Saturday). Michelle Cottrell scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Saturday night to lead NKU past Kentucky Wesleyan. Cottrell made 15 of 21 free throws en route to her 47th career double-double. The 15 made free throws tied the NKU single-game record, which is also shared by Linda Niehaus and Lori McClellan. Cottrell now has 2,042 career points and is NKU’s all-time leading scorer. She has recorded 11 double-doubles this season and averages 18.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Amy Mobley added 22 points and five rebounds against Kentucky Wesleyan, while Bridget Flanagan finished with 10 points for the Norse. GOING FOR FOUR STRAIGHT 20-WIN SEASONS: NKU needs one victory to secure its fourth consecutive 20-win season. The Norse own a 106-15 record during the past four years. WHERE THEY RANK IN THE GLVC: NKU’s Michelle Cottrell ranks No. 1 in the GLVC in rebounding (10.0 rpg), No. 2 in field goal percentage (60.5 percent) and No. 3 in scoring (18.4 ppg). The Norse’s Bridget Flanagan is No. 1 in three-pointers made per game (2.50) and No. 6 in three-point shooting percentage (39.7 percent). MOBLEY REACHES 800 CAREER POINTS: NKU junior forward Amy Mobley scored her 800th career point last Saturday against Kentucky Wesleyan. Mobley now has 802 career points with the Norse. COTTRELL ON THE BOARDS: Michelle Cottrell enters this week with 1,042 career rebounds, which ranks No. 2 in Norse history. Peggy Vincent is NKU’s all-time career leader with 1,166 rebounds. GLVC TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS: Pairings and times for the GLVC Tournament will be announced this Sunday night (Feb. 24). The GLVC Tournament will be held at Evansville, Ind., in Roberts Stadium for the fourth straight year. The first round of the women’s GLVC Tournament will be played on Wednesday, Feb. 27. NKU can wrap up the No. 1 seed in the GLVC Tournament with two wins this week. A loss by Southern Indiana at Bellarmine University this Thursday night will also give the Norse the No. 1 seed. ABOUT MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS: The Riverwomen are 8-16 overall after defeating Saint Joseph’s College, 75-69, on Saturday. The Riverwomen are 5-13 in the GLVC, but they still have an outside chance of qualifying for the GLVC Tournament. Missouri-St. Louis is led by junior forward Christy Lane, who averages 12.8 ppg and 5.9 rpg. Senior forward Lynette Wellen is scoring 11.8 ppg, and junior guard Sophia Ruffin averages 11.0 ppg. THE LAST TIME AGAINST MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS: Earlier this season on Jan. 26, Amy Mobley’s three-point play with three seconds remaining gave NKU an 81-79 win over Missouri-St. Louis at the Mark Twain Building. Missouri-St. Louis held a 79-78 lead in the closing seconds, but Mobley made a layup while being fouled. She converted the free throw to give the Norse an 81-79 advantage with three seconds left, and Missouri-St. Louis was unable to get off a last-second shot. Bridget Flanagan scored 21 points for NKU, which rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to post the victory. Kristin Polosky scored 17 points for the Norse, who snapped a two-game losing streak with that victory. Mobley added 16 points and 12 rebounds for NKU, and Dana Schubeler also recorded a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Christy Lane scored 17 points in the first half as Missouri-St. Louis built a 52-36 lead. NKU, however, held Missouri-St. Louis to just 24 percent shooting from the field in the second half and rallied for the win. ABOUT QUINCY: The Hawks, who have won eight straight games entering their Thursday night game at the University of Indianapolis, are 17-7 overall. Quincy is 13-5 in the GLVC and in third place. The Hawks are led by junior forward Jill Unnerstall, who averages 15.8 ppg and 7.7 rebounds. Unnerstall is also shooting 85.9 percent from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Lisa Farrell averages 11.5 ppg and has 48 assists. Sophomore center Courtney VonderHaar averages 10.1 ppg and leads the team with 23 blocked shots. THE LAST TIME AGAINST QUINCY: Earlier this season on Jan. 3, Michelle Cottrell scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds as NKU defeated Quincy, 60-53, at the Pepsi Arena. Kristin Polosky added 14 points for the Norse, while Dana Schubeler scored 13 points and finished with six rebounds. NKU limited Quincy to 31 percent shooting from the field and avenged last season’s 72-69 loss to the Hawks at Pepsi Arena. NKU built a 31-18 halftime lead by shooting 59.1 percent from the field. The Norse also shut down the Quincy offense by holding the Hawks to just 22.2 percent shooting from the field in the first half.