Feb. 25, 2006

Box Score

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Shante Glenn and Mary Moskal combined for 40 points, but Northern Kentucky overpowered Lewis 75-65 in an intense Great Lakes Valley Conference regular-season finale Saturday afternoon at Neil Carey Arena.

The Flyers finished the regular season 18-9 (14-5 GLVC), while the Norse ended up 23-4 (16-3 GLVC). The win also gave the Norse first place in the conference's East Division, while the Flyers took second.

Glenn and Moskal each scored a game-high 20 points. Glenn added a team-best seven rebounds and four assists, while Moskal had five boards and four assists. Moskal scored 14 of her 20 in the first half. Kelly Dianis also reached double figures for the Flyers, scoring 10 points in 15 minutes of action off the bench.

After the Flyers and Norse traded the lead four times over the first 12 minutes of the game, Katie Butler ignited an 11-0 Norse run with a 3-pointer at the 7:52 mark of the first half. The bucket put Northern Kentucky out in front for good, and by halftime the Norse held a six-point cushion.

The Flyers outscored the Norse 9-6 in the opening minutes of the second half, cutting the Norse lead to three points with 14:32 to play, but 3-pointers from Karyn Creager and Butler put the Norse back up by nine.

From there the Norse continued to pull away, taking an 11-point lead at 11:29 thanks to two Betsey Clark free throws and increasing their advantage to a game-high 17 points at the 9:06 mark and again with 4:09 to play in the game.

Lewis mounted one last charge in the final minutes of the contest, trimming the Norse's 17-point lead to seven with 1:05 left to play, but two layups and a free throw by Karmen Graham ended the Flyers' rally.

Free-throw shooting and a slight advantage from 3-point range proved to be the difference in the game, as the Norse went 8-of-21 from beyond the arc and made 21-of-28 at the foul line. The Flyers made six 3-pointers and shot 15-of-17 at the line.

Northern Kentucky shot 47 percent from the field compared to 46 percent by Lewis. The Norse also held a 30-28 edge on the glass.

Up next for Lewis is the GLVC Championship tournament in Evansville, Ind. The Flyers enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed from the East Division and will square off against Missouri-Rolla, the No. 3 seed from the West Division, on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.