Jan. 8, 2002

NKU PLAYS UWP THIS THURSDAY

Norse (10-2, 7-0 GLVC) seek to remain unbeaten in GLVC

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team improved to 10-2 Saturday with a 62-43 win at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. The Norse remained unbeaten (7-0) in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and are in sole possession of first place in the league standings. NKU will play host to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside at 5:30 p.m. this Thursday night in Regents Hall. The Norse will also meet Saint Joseph’s College at 1 p.m. Saturday in Regents Hall. Dana Schubeler scored a career-high 18 points Saturday afternoon to lead NKU past SIUE. Schubeler scored 10 points in the second half as the Norse turned a close game into an easy victory. NKU held a 29-28 halftime lead, but the Norse limited SIUE to just 25 percent shooting from the field in the second half. Michelle Cottrell added 14 points and nine rebounds for NKU, and Bridget Flanagan finished with 14 points. Amy Mobley pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds for NKU, which won the battle of the boards by a 40-32 margin. Suzie Smith finished with a game-high seven assists for the Norse. WINSTEL NEARS 400 WINS: NKU’s 62-43 victory over SIUE on Saturday was the 397th for NKU head coach Nancy Winstel, who is looking to become the first basketball coach in Norse history to reach the 400-win plateau. SCHUBELER HAS OUTSTANDING ROAD TRIP: NKU’s Dana Schubeler averaged 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and shot 65 percent from the field to lead the Norse to a pair of road wins last week. Schubeler began the week with a 13-point, six-rebound performance during a 60-53 win at Quincy. She added a career-high 18 points in the victory at SIUE. For the season, Schubeler averages 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds. She is shooting 51.6 percent from the field. COUNTDOWN TO 2,000 POINTS: Michelle Cottrell enters this week’s games with 1,940 points, which is No. 1 in NKU history. Cottrell also has 43 career double-doubles in her college career. Cottrell averages 19.2 points, which ranks No. 3 in the GLVC. She also averages 10.8 rebounds per game, which is No. 1 in the GLVC. In addition, Cottrell’s 61.1 percent shooting from the field is No. 1 in the GLVC. AGAINST THE GLVC: NKU is now 71-7 (91 percent) in games against GLVC opponents during the last four seasons. ABOUT WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE: The Rangers enter Thursday night with a 3-8 overall record after posting an 82-63 win over Saint Joseph’s College on Saturday. Wisconsin-Parkside is 3-4 in the GLVC. Wisconsin-Parkside features freshman forward Sammy Kromm, who averages 14.0 points and 7.3 rebounds. Kromm is also shooting 66 percent from the field. Kromm is the only player on the roster scoring in double figures. THE LAST TIME AGAINST UW-PARKSIDE: Earlier this season on Nov. 26, Michelle Cottrell scored 15 of her 18 points in the second half as NKU defeated Wisconsin-Parkside, 64-60, at De Simone Gymnasium. Bridget Flanagan added 14 points and Suzie Smith - who missed most of the second half with an ankle injury - made a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to seal the victory for the Norse. NKU shot 56.1 percent from the field, and the Norse made 7 of 11 three-point shots. Flanagan made 4 of 6 three-point attempts for NKU, which is 14-0 all-time against Wisconsin-Parkside. STREAK AGAINST SAINT JOSEPH’S: Going into Saturday’s game, the Norse own 14 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 14 straight losses, is 0-14 against NKU. ROAD GAME AT KENTUCKY STATE: NKU will play its final non-conference game on Jan. 16 with a road contest at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Ky. The game will start at 5:30 p.m.