Feb. 4, 2002

NKU PLAYS SJC ON THURSDAY

Norse hold one-game lead in GLVC standings

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team is 16-4 after posting a 70-54 win over Lewis University last Saturday in Regents Hall. The Norse, who have won three straight games, are 12-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and in sole possession of first place in the league standings. NKU holds a one-game lead over the University of Southern Indiana (18-4, overall, 11-3 GLVC) in the league standings. The Norse are attempting to land the No. 1 seed in the upcoming GLVC Tournament, which will be held at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Ind., Feb. 27-March 2. NKU will meet Saint Joseph’s College at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday night in Rensselaer, Ind. The Norse will also play at the University of Indianapolis at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Bridget Flanagan scored 19 points Saturday to lead NKU past Lewis. Flanagan made five three-points shots as the Norse coasted past the Flyers. Kristin Polosky added 17 points and six rebounds for NKU, which held Lewis to 32.8 percent shooting from the field. Amy Mobley finished with 16 points and four assists. COTTRELL INJURY UPDATE: The NKU lineup is missing senior All-America forward Michelle Cottrell, who is out with a stress fracture in her right foot. Cottrell, who averages 18 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, has missed NKU’s past five games and is doubtful for Thursday night’s contest against Saint Joseph’s. Cottrell needs just 20 points reach the 2,000-point plateau. She is NKU’s all-time leading scorer with 1,980 points. POLOSKY THE SUPER SUB: Junior forward Kristin Polosky came off the bench for the first time this season and averaged 20.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and made 69.6 percent of her shots from the field to lead the Norse to a pair of wins last week. Polosky, who started the first 17 games this season, scored a career-high 23 points and made 9 of 13 shots from the field during a 67-60 victory over SIUE on Thursday. Polosky also made a key three-pointer with 1:15 remaining in the game to seal that win. She came back on Saturday to score 17 points and grab six rebounds in a 70-54 win over Lewis. MOBLEY KEEPS STREAK ALIVE: Junior forward Amy Mobley has scored in double figures in eight straight games. During that streak, Mobley is averaging 20.0 points per game. She averages 12.1 ppg for the season. SMITH PROVIDES SCORING PUNCH: Senior point guard Suzie Smith scored 14 points Saturday and extended her streak of games in double figures to three. Smith, who leads the team with 62 assists, averages 7.8 ppg. ABOUT SAINT JOSEPH’S: The Pumas are 6-14 overall after defeating the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 84-74, on Jan. 31. Saint Joseph’s is 5-9 in the GLVC. Saint Joseph’s features sophomore forward Heather Allen, who averages 18.2 ppg and 6.6 rebounds. Allen has made 35 three-point shots this season. Sophomore guard Michelle Wegner averages 10.1 ppg. THE LAST TIME AGAINST SAINT JOSEPH’S: Earlier this season on Jan. 12, Michelle Cottrell and Amy Mobley both recorded double-doubles as NKU defeated Saint Joseph’s College, 97-80, in Regents Hall. Cottrell finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds - her 45th career double-double - and Mobley had 14 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and four blocked shots for the Norse. Saint Joseph’s shot 55.2 percent from the field during the first half and trailed by just six points (49-43) at the break. NKU, however, shot 61.3 percent from the field in the second half and coasted to the win. Bridget Flanagan scored 15 of her game-high 23 points in the first half for NKU. Suzie Smith added 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Norse. STREAK AGAINST SAINT JOSEPH’S: NKU owns 15 consecutive victories over Saint Joseph’s during the past eight years. NKU has not lost to Saint Joseph’s since the 1993-94 season, when the Pumas posted a 72-67 victory against the Norse at Rensselaer, Ind. Saint Joseph’s head coach Lynn Plett, who has been on the sidelines for the 15 straight losses, is 0-15 against NKU. ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS: The Greyhounds are 12-8 after losing to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 52-46, last Saturday. Indianapolis is 8-7 in the GLVC. THE LAST TIME AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS: Earlier this season on Nov. 29, Michelle Cottrell scored 26 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as NKU defeated Indianapolis, 66-53, in Regents Hall. Amy Mobley added 10 points for NKU, which made 51.1 percent of its shots from the field. The Norse won the rebounding battle by a 36-24 margin and limited Indianapolis to 40.4 percent shooting from the field. STREAK AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS: NKU has won 13 consecutive games against Indianapolis. The last time Indianapolis defeated NKU was during the 1995-96 season at Nicoson Hall, when the Greyhounds pulled out a 74-64 victory against the Norse.