Northern Kentucky women’s basketball hits the road after enjoying a four-game homestand, taking on Youngstown State on Thursday, Jan. 25. Tip-off against the Penguins is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3 with streaming available on computers, tablets, smart phones and streaming devices through WatchESPN and the ESPN App.
Northern Kentucky (5-14, 3-5 HL) at Youngstown State (7-12, 3-5 HL)
Thursday, Jan. 25 – 7 p.m. ET
Youngstown, Ohio – Beeghly Center
Live Stats | ESPN3 Broadcast
LAST TIME OUT: NKU had one of the biggest comebacks in its Division I history, trailing UIC by 19 points going into the fourth quarter before storming back for a 61-53 overtime win. The Norse outscored the Flames 35-10 in the fourth quarter and overtime period, with freshman Kailey Coffey scoring 14 of her career-high 19 points in those 15 minutes. Coffey also tied her career best of 12 rebounds, while Mikayla Terry added 16 points. The Norse have had two players score at least 15 points in three of their last four games.
SCOUTING YOUNGSTOWN STATE: Like NKU, the Penguins are tied for sixth place in the Horizon League standings with a 3-5 record, and are 7-12 overall. YSU most recently recorded a 66-52 road victory at Cleveland State, snapping a four-game road losing skid to the Vikings. The Penguins were bolstered by freshman Chelsea Olson, who stepped up with the absence of starter Nikka Arbanas and poured in 26 points to lead YSU to victory and garner Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors.
Since entering League play, the Penguins have been led by Sarah Cash, who is averaging 14.4 ppg at a .586 clip. Arbanas has been the team’s top 3-point shooter, but her status for tomorrow’s game is unknown. YSU also features one of the top point guards in the League in preseason all-league honoree Indiya Benjamin, who is dishing out 4.7 assists per game, including 5.4 dimes a contest in league action. As a team, the Penguins’ bread and butter is their 3-point shooting. They rank 25th nationally with 488 3-pointers attempted this year, and have hit 162 of them for the 27th-best spot in the nation. Additionally, the Penguins are connecting at a league-leading .332 from long range and have kept teams at 29.0 percent on 3-point field goal percentage defense.
NKU is 4-2 all-time against the Penguins. Last season, both meetings went to overtime with each team winning on its home court. NKU took the first matchup, 87-81, on Jan. 7 in Highland Heights, while the Penguins reciprocated with a 77-73 overtime win on Feb. 16 in Youngstown, Ohio.
ROOKIES IN THE RANKS: NKU has had some key performances from its freshman class, which has come in to contribute right away. Two rookies help lead the team in rebounding (Kailey Coffey – 6.7 rpg; Grace White – 4.7 rpg) to keep the Norse at a +3.5 rebounding margin over opponents, a number that ranks fifth in the Horizon League. Coffey has the 12th-highest rebounding average in the Horizon League, and sits at fifth in the League with 2.8 offensive rpg. Since entering League play, Coffey has been averaging 11.3 points at a .491 clip, a shooting percentage that ranks among the League’s top performers. White has also upped her play since entering the Horizon League season, especially with her 3-point shooting. Prior to the start of league play, White was connecting at a .231 clip from long range with just three 3-pointers made. Since Dec. 28, White has gone 5-for-12 from beyond the arc for a .417 clip. Both Coffey and White have been honored as the Horizon League Freshman of the Week during the season, making NKU the only institution this year to have two different rookies honored.
#TakeNotice
Chloe Smith
Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Northern Kentucky University
