Norse take down McNeese, advance to next round of Women’s Baketball Invitational
NKU women’s basketball player Kayla Thacker shoots the ball against McNeese State, scoring 25 points and 8 rebounds during NKU’s win in the first round of the WBI Tournament. NKU beat McNeese State 84-72 on March 20, 2014 at the Bank of Kentucky Center during the first round of the WBI Tournament. NKU plays College of Charleston at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 23, 2014 at TD Arena in Charleston, South Carolina.
NKU women’s basketball team picked up a win March 20 against the McNeese State Cowgirls in the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI).
The game started off slow with the first points for McNeese coming almost two minutes into the game, and the Norse still with no score.
McNeese’s lead wouldn’t last for long however as NKU would go on a 12-0 run making the score 19-7.
At the end of the first half, the Norse lead the Cowgirls with a twenty-point difference 46-26.
In the first half Kayla Thacker picked up 14 of NKU’s points and Melody Doss claimed 10 points for herself.
Together the team went 8-8 on three point field goals in the first half.
“When you shoot that well it helps a lot of errors if you break down defensively,” NKU women’s head coach Dawn Plitzuweit said. “But really I think our players, over the course of spring break, stayed here and put in the time and it showed.”
With the second half under way the Norse’s lead was cut to nine in the first four minutes. However, McNeese wouldn’t reclaim a lead for the rest of the game.
With a final score of 84-72, NKU claimed victory and a road trip to the College of Charleston for their next game in the WBI.
“It was a very good win for our team, for our program,” Plitzuweit said. “I’m very proud of our young ladies for how hard they competed”
Kayla Thacker set a new career high in the game with 25 points.
“It’s really emotional for me because this could be the last time I ever put on my Northern jersey,” Thacker said. “So I just wanted to go out and show what I could.”
And while the team is excited for this win, they are focusing on their next game against the College of Charleston, who Plitzuweit says is a very athletic team.
“It’s exciting to get a chance to play them again,” Thacker said. “They came out and beat us last year by two, so we’re looking for revenge, and we’re ready to get them.”
