The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team hit the road for the first time Saturday against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.
They came back home with an 86-75 loss to drop to 0-2 on the young season. NKU trailed 24-22 after the first quarter, but a rough second quarter put them in a 47-34 halftime deficit.
The Norse turned the ball over 19 times compared to 12 for the Colonels and Eastern Kentucky outscored the Norse, 21-8 off those turnovers.
Second chance points also hurt the Norse. EKU outrebounded NKU, 43-36 including a 15-9 advantage on the offensive glass outscoring Northern Kentucky, 19-12 on those extra opportunities.
Seven different Norse scored in the win. Khamari Mitchell-Steen had a near double-double with 22 points and nine rebounds to lead the way and Macey Blevins scored 14. Freshman Carter McCray posted 13 points to go with eight rebounds.
But the big story in this game for Northern Kentucky was true freshman Noelle Hubert. The recent Notre Dame graduate made three three-pointers on her way to 11 points.
The Colonels saw three players score in double figures led by Alice Recanati with 28 points and former Norse guard Ivy Turner with 23. Ryle graduate Brie Crittendon followed with 10 points. Recanati had four of Eastern Kentucky’s nine steals.
Both teams shot 42% from the field. Northern Kentucky hit 6-of-17 from three while knocking down 19-of-24 free throw attempts. Eastern Kentucky shot 4-of-16 from deep and hit 26-of-34 from the charity stripe.
Northern Kentucky returns home Saturday against the Marshall Thundering Herd at 2 p.m.