Feb. 26, 2001

NKU PLAYS QUINCY THIS WEDNESDAY

Norse enter GLVC Tournament with 23-3 record

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team is 23-3 after defeating Quincy (Ill.) University, 79-63, Saturday in Regents Hall. The Norse were Great Lakes Valley Conference co-champions in the regular-season with the University of Southern Indiana after finishing 17-3 in the GLVC. Southern Indiana won the coin flip Saturday and will be the No. 1 seed. NKU is the No. 2 seed and will meet No. 7 seed Quincy (12-14) at 9:30 p.m. (EST) this Wednesday in the first round of the GLVC Tournament at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Ind. Michelle Cottrell scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds Saturday to lead NKU, which used a 16-2 run to begin the second half to build a 51-35 lead. Cottrell and Michele Tuchfarber both scored 10 points in the second half to lead the Norse. Quincy connected on seven of eight three-point attempts (87.5 percent) in the first half to trail by just two points (35-33). The Hawks also held a 21-10 rebound advantage at halftime, but the Norse shot 56.7 percent from the field in the second half to roll to the victory. GLVC TOURNAMENT HISTORY: NKU owns a 7-1 all-time record in the GLVC Tournament, and the Norse are the two-time defending champions. NKU is 6-0 all-time at Roberts Stadium during GLVC Tournament play. A year ago, NKU defeated IPFW, Bellarmine and Indianapolis to capture the GLVC title. Two years ago, the Norse defeated Kentucky Wesleyan, Southern Indiana and Bellarmine en route to the GLVC Tournament championship. In 1997-98, NKU defeated Bellarmine in the first round in Regents Hall. The Norse lost to Southern Indiana at the PAC Arena in the GLVC semifinals. AGAINST THE GLVC: The Norse are 62-6 in their last 68 games against GLVC teams. COTTRELL TIME: NKU junior forward Michelle Cottrell averages 17.3 points per game and 8.0 rebounds going into the GLVC Tournament. She is also shooting 63 percent from the field and 81.3 percent from the free throw line. Cottrell enters the GLVC Tournament with 35 career double-doubles, and she ranks No. 2 on the NKU all-time scoring list with 1,637 career points. Cottrell was GLVC co-Player of the Year last season, and she also earned Kodak Division II All-America honors. She was named the most outstanding player at the NCAA Division II Elite Eight last year after leading NKU to the national championship. COWENS ON TARGET: NKU senior center Julie Cowens has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games entering the GLVC Tournament. Cowens has averaged 14.3 ppg during that streak. TUCHFARBER APPROACHES TOP 4: NKU senior guard Michele Tuchfarber has scored 1,477 career points entering the GLVC Tournament. She needs just six points to move past Linda Honigford (1,482 points) into fourth place on the NKU all-time scoring list. Tuchfarber is NKU’s all-time career leader with 157 three-point field goals. ABOUT QUINCY: The Lady Hawks are 12-14 after dropping a 79-63 decision at NKU last Saturday. Colleen Sexton leads Quincy in scoring at 14.7 ppg, and she also averages 5.7 rebounds per game. Libby Lewis averages 10.4 ppg, and Jill Unnerstall is scoring 10.0 ppg. THE FIRST TIME AGAINST QUINCY: Earlier this season on Jan. 25 at Quincy, Ill., Jill Unnerstall and Tiffany Kelver both hit two free throws in the final 40 seconds as Quincy upset NKU, 72-69. Unnerstall made a pair of free throws with 40 seconds remaining in the game to give Quincy a 70-69 lead. After NKU’s Bridget Flanagan missed a three-point shot, Kelver was fouled and made two free throws to give Quincy a 72-69 advantage. NKU had two chances to tie the game in the final 10 seconds, but both attempts missed and Quincy defeated the Norse for the first time in history. The Norse built a 40-33 halftime lead in that game, but Quincy limited the Norse to just 31 percent shooting from the field in the second half and made 52.4 percent of its own attempts. The Lady Hawks also connected on 28 of 36 free throw attempts. NKU AGAINST SIUE, INDIANAPOLIS: If NKU defeats Quincy, the Norse will play either No. 3 seed Southern Illinois at Edwardsville or No. 6 seed Indianapolis in the semifinals on Friday (March 2). NKU posted an 88-61 win over SIUE in their only meeting this season at Highland Heights, Ky. NKU swept both games from Indianapolis - 66-44 at Highland Heights, Ky., and 72-38 at Indianapolis, Ind.