March 5, 2001

NKU BEGINS NCAA TOURNEY FRIDAY

Norse (25-4) play Gannon (22-7) this Friday night

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team is 25-4 after suffering a 95-73 loss to the University of Southern Indiana last Saturday in the championship game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. NKU, the defending NCAA Division II national champion, enters the NCAA II Great Lakes Region Tournament as the No. 3 seed and will meet No. 6 seed Gannon (Pa.) University at 5:30 p.m. this Friday night in the first round. If NKU defeats Gannon (22-7), the Norse will face No. 2 seed Southern Indiana at 5:30 p.m. Saturday night. The championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday. NKU is the two-time defending champion of the Great Lakes Region. The Norse have already played Gannon this season and posted an 84-69 win over the Golden Knights at Erie, Pa., on Nov. 18 in the championship game of the Avalon Classic. COTTRELL NAMED TO GLVC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: NKU junior forward Michelle Cottrell averages 17.7 points per game and 8.3 rebounds going into the NCAA Tournament. She is also shooting 63.3 percent from the field and 80.8 percent from the free throw line. Cottrell was named to the All-Tournament Team last week at the GLVC Tournament after scoring 63 points (21.0 ppg) and grabbing 32 rebounds (10.7 rpg) in three games. Cottrell enters the NCAA Tournament with 37 career double-doubles, and she ranks No. 2 on the NKU all-time scoring list with 1,700 career points. She needs just 184 points to pass Peggy Vincent (1,883 points) as NKU’s all-time leading scorer. TUCHFARBER CONTINUES TO CLIMB SCORING LIST: NKU senior guard Michele Tuchfarber enters the NCAA Tournament with 1,498 career points, which ranks No. 4 in Norse history. Tuchfarber needs just four points to move past Lori McClellan (1,501 points) into third place on the NKU all-time scoring list. Tuchfarber is NKU’s all-time career leader with 158 three-point field goals. ROBERTS STADIUM STREAK ENDS: Southern Indiana ended NKU’s perfect record at Roberts Stadium last week in the championship game of the GLVC Tournament with a 95-73 win over the Norse. Prior to last Saturday, NKU was 8-0 all-time in Roberts Stadium during the GLVC Tournament. REGION SUPREMACY ON THE LINE: NKU has won the past two NCAA II Great Lakes Region championships at home in Regents Hall. Two years ago, NKU defeated Grand Valley State and Michigan Tech to earn a berth in the Elite Eight. Last season, the Norse defeated Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech en route to the school's first-ever national championship. UNBEATEN OUTSIDE THE GLVC: NKU is unbeaten (6-0) against non-GLVC teams this season. All four losses - twice to Southern Indiana, and setbacks to Quincy (Ill.) and Bellarmine - have been against GLVC teams. THE LAST TIME AGAINST GANNON: Earlier this season on Nov. 18, in the championship game of the Avalon Classic at Erie, Pa., NKU posted an 84-69 win over Gannon. Michelle Cottrell scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Norse in that game. Cottrell earned tournament most valuable player honors. Michele Tuchfarber (21 points against Gannon) and Heather Livingstone (19 points against Gannon) also earned All-Tournament honors for NKU. Senior Julie Cowens added 11 points for the Norse. NKU AGAINST THE NCAA FIELD: NKU owns a 3-2 record against teams in the NCAA Tournament. NKU is 2-0 against Southern Illinois at Edwardsville, 0-2 against Southern Indiana and 1-0 against Gannon. MEMORABLE GREAT LAKES REGION TOURNAMENT GAMES: The last two NCAA II Great Lakes Region Tournaments have provided a pair of dramatic, last-second NKU wins against Michigan Tech. Two years ago in the championship game, Michelle Cottrell grabbed an offensive rebound and scored at the buzzer to give NKU a 65-63 win over Michigan Tech. Last season in the semifinals, Cottrell again grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with six seconds left to give NKU a 60-59 win over Michigan Tech. MTU’s Clara Goggins attempted a three-pointer in the final seconds, but the shot was off target and NKU advanced to the finals against Northern Michigan.