Northern Kentucky women’s basketball announces the addition of in-state and No. 2 nationally-ranked foe Louisville to its schedule for a Friday, Jan. 1 tilt. The game, set for a 3 p.m. tip in Louisville, Kentucky, replaces NKU’s originally scheduled home contest against Cleveland State, which was canceled earlier on Thursday. While the game will not be open to the general public, it will air on ACC Network Extra.
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (4-4 Overall, 4-0 Horizon League)No. 2 Louisville Cardinals (5-0 Overall, 1-0 ACC)Friday, Jan. 1 – 3:00 p.m. (ET)Louisville, Ky. | KFC Yum! Center (22,090)TV: ACC Network Extra
Fast Break Points • NKU is out to its best-ever start in Horizon League play at 4-0 thanks to a pair of 83-48 and 80-63 wins at PFW on December 19 and 20, respectively. • The Norse are defeating their opponents by an average margin of 23 points in conference action through four games.• Through eight games this season, NKU is outrebounding its opponents by 12.3 boards per game (42.3-30.0 rpg). That margin ranks 22nd-best in the nation.• NKU’s regularly-scheduled bouts with Cleveland State this weekend have been cancelled due to COVID-related matters within the Vikings’ program. The Norse will now face No. 2 Louisville on the road on Saturday.• NKU is 12-13 all-time against Louisville, with the last meeting being an 85-57 victory for the Cardinals in BB&T Arena on December 8, 2019.• NKU is coming off of its first 20-win season during the DI era. The Norse went 6-5 in the nonconference before posting a 12-6 mark in League play and going 2-1 in the Horizon League Championship.• NKU steamrolled both Detroit Mercy and Milwaukee in the opening two rounds of the Horizon League Championship. The Norse held two leads in the final minute, but ultimately fell short of Green Bay by one point in the semifinals.• The Norse return quite a bit of experience, losing only three players from last year’s squad. NKU welcomes back approximately 76 percent of its minutes played and 73 percent of its scoring.• The Norse were picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League Preseason Coaches Poll.• Junior guard Lindsey Duvall has been active and impactful early in her Norse tenure. She registered her first-three double-doubles in consecutive fashion against Bowling Green (10 points, career-high 14 rebounds), No. 19 Ohio State (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Robert Morris (21 points, 10 rebounds). She is leading the Norse in points (14.5) and rebounds (8.1) per game.• Sophomore guard Ivy Turner was in the starting rotation every game last year. Turner contributed 8.3 ppg for NKU and was second on the team with 66 dimes. She is scoring at an even better 10.0 ppg clip this year.• Junior guard Ally Niece, who is coming off a sophomore campaign in which she was named to both the all-tournament and all-league second teams, earned a spot on the All-Horizon League Preseason First Team. She is averaging 7.8 ppg in the young 2020-21 season.• Senior forward Kailey Coffey has played in 100 games with 99 starts (tied for 13th all-time) during a Norse career in which she has moved into 11th all-time at NKU with 727 rebounds.• Junior forward Emmy Souder started all 32 games as a sophomore. She was third on the team in scoring at 8.8 ppg and second in rebounding at 5.4 rpg. She is averaging 4.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game so far this year.• Sophomore guard Carissa Garcia averaged 7.3 ppg as a freshman and continues to make an impact with 7.8 scores a contest. • Five newcomers join the squad this season, including Louisville transfer junior guard Duvall as well as freshmen guard Kennedy Igo, center Emma Palmer, center Christyan Reid and guard/wing Ellie Taylor.
Last Time OutAnother weekend-sweep was the name of the game for NKU on Dec. 19 and 20 at Purdue Fort Wayne. On Saturday, the Norse put together their most complete game of the young season, routing the Mastodons, 83-48. Four Norse reached the double-figures threshold in the win: Duvall (18), Garcia (16), Coffey (14) and freshman Igo (12). Coffey also registered 10 rebounds in the matchup for her sixth-career double-double, and her first since having 14 points and 11 rebounds against Wright State on Jan. 12, 2019. Although the Mastodons had more fight in them on Sunday, the Norse still pulled away by game’s end to an 80-63 victory, thanks to exceptional shooting (31-for-55, 56 percent). Grayson Rose and Duvall led the Norse with 23 and 20 points, respectively in the contest. The win marked the first-time NKU reached the 80-point mark in back-to-back games since Feb. 18 and 21, 2016, when it respectively poured in 81 against Detroit Mercy and 80 versus Oakland. Scouting No. 2 Louisville An impressive start to the 2020-21 season for the Cardinals has merited them a No. 2 ranking, as well as a first-place vote in the Associated Press Top-25 poll. Louisville is currently a perfect 5-0 on the young year with a notable 116-75 win over No. 18 DePaul. Louisville boasts four different players that are averaging double-figures in each contest: Dana Evans (21.0), Hailey Van Lith (15.6), Kianna Smith (15.3), Olivia Cochran (13.8). Evans, an AP Preseason All-American, is the primary disher for the Cardinals, generating 4.6 assists a contest, while Cochran, a freshman forward, leads the team in rebounds with 9.0 a game. Series Stuff NKU is 12-13 against Louisville all-time. The Norse lost to the Cardinals, 85-57, in their last matchup on Dec. 8, 2019 in BB&T Arena.
–Robby Johnson – Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant (WSOC/MSOC/BASE)Communications and Media Services – Northern Kentucky University