With one minute left to play, NKU led Toledo 66-61 with the ball in the hands of graduate student Taysha Rushton. With the play clock running down and multiple defenders draped over her, Rushton drove to the basket to try and put the game on ice.
And put the game on ice she did, banking a mid-range jump shot in off the glass to secure the win for the Norse.
On Wednesday, NKU women’s basketball took on Toledo in a packed Truist Arena. Celebrating Education Day, students from schools across the area showed out for the Norse, giving them a much-needed boost at home.
NKU sits at 0-4 overall, having fallen on the road in each of their losses. Toledo sits at 1-2 overall, having defeated the Norse’s Horizon League foe Detroit Mercy handily. Both teams are desperate for a win and look to use this game as a turning point before their season slip further off track.
In the first quarter, both NKU and Toledo shot 33.33% from the field. Freshman Karina Bystry hit two threes and scored seven of NKU’s 13 points, while junior Noelle Hubert added another three.
Toledo outrebounded NKU by seven, grabbing five offensive boards and using strong interior defense to hold the Norse to just 11 rebounds. The Rockets closed the quarter on a 5-0 run to tie the game at 13-13.
In the second quarter, Toledo stayed hot with a 14-6 run, sparked by sophomore Fath Fedd-Robinson, who scored four points during the stretch.
The Rockets found success pushing the ball in transition and attacking gaps left by the NKU defense, forcing the Norse to collapse and give up wide-open looks.Despite the Rockets controlling most of the quarter, NKU stayed close and went into halftime trailing 31-27, where they made some crucial adjustments.
In the third quarter, the momentum shifted in NKU’s favor, thanks to junior Mia Jordan, who took over for NKU. Jordan poured on 10 points on 75% shooting, including two clutch three’s down the stretch.
As the Norse made adjustments, Toledo was unable to counter as NKU outscored the Rockets by one to go into the fourth quarter down 52-49.
In the final quarter, NKU played locked-down defense, switching to a 2-3 zone that held Toledo to just nine points.
The Norse kept attacking the boards, grabbing 12 rebounds in the quarter, including 10 on the offensive end.
NKU closed the game out with a decisive 7-0 run. Fittingly, Bystry capped off the run, swishing two clutch free throws to secure the team’s first win of the season.
The Norse go on the road to face Chattanooga this Saturday, Nov. 22nd at 2 p.m., where they hope to sever their sluggish start and get back to their winning ways.