Northern Kentucky women’s basketball had a back-and-forth contest with Youngstown State, but ultimately fell to the Penguins on Thursday evening, 54-51. With the loss, NKU drops to 5-15 overall and 3-6 in Horizon League play while YSU advances to 8-12 (4-5 HL).
STAT LEADERS
Molly Glick posted a game-high 18 points, going 7-for-11 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from long range.
Taryn Taugher also recorded double figures with 12 points and added a team-best seven rebounds.
Mikayla Terry had eight points, all in the first half, and swiped four steals while dishing out three assists.
Kailey Coffey also had four steals and led the Norse with four assists, while also adding six points on offense.
FIRST HALF SUMMARY
NKU had a hot start, shooting 53.3 percent from the field and went 5-for-8 from 3-point range in the opening quarter to take a 21-17 lead.
The Penguins closed the gap to one point by the end of the half by outscoring the Norse 10-7 in the second quarter, as the Norse shot just 17.6 percent in the stanza.
Glick and Terry both led the Norse with eight points apiece.
SECOND HALF SUMMARY
Once again, NKU came out hot to start the second half and shot 50.0 percent from the field, but the Penguins had an even hotter hand at a .545 clip to lead NKU by two points going into the final 10 minutes.
NKU’s production dipped in the latter portion of the half, shooting 18.8 percent in the fourth quarter as Youngstown State sealed the win with a baseline jumper and a free throw with under 30 seconds to play.
NORSE NOTES
NKU had just 11 turnovers, marking the lowest of the season. Meanwhile, the Norse forced 22 miscues by the Penguins, converting them into 24 points.
Youngstown State held the edge in rebounding, 33-27, and also had greater presence in the paint, 24-14.
NKU still retains the lead in the all-time series, 4-3.
The Norse finish the first half of Horizon League action with a 3-6 mark.
UP NEXT
NKU heads into the second half of League play on Saturday, Jan. 27, when the Norse travel to Cleveland State for a rematch with the Vikings. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3 with live streaming available on computers, tablets, smart phones and streaming devices through WatchESPN and the ESPN App.
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Chloe Smith
Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Northern Kentucky University
