PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB hosts Northern Kentucky in battle of in-state schools

Kentucky opened up their first game of the season by beating USC Upstate 98-43 in what was a dominant performance from the tip to the final buzzer. Now, the ‘Cats are set to take on the Norse of Northern Kentucky who will be making the 84 mile trek to Historic Memorial Coliseum.

Here’s everything you need to know about Northern Kentucky ahead of the game.

Bio Blast

On Thursday, Kentucky Women’s Basketball takes on the 0-1 Northern Kentucky Norse. On Monday, the Norse fell to a good Middle Tennessee team, 79-58. Last season, Middle Tennessee beat Louisville in the NCAA Tournament before falling to LSU in the second round. Last year, the Norse finished 11-20, and ended their season in the Horizon League Tournament after a 88-78 loss to Cleveland State. This year, NKU boasts 7th in the Horizon League Preseason Poll.

NKU Projected Starters (lineup used on Nov. 4)

• #12 Anna Hamilton: 5-foot-5 freshman guard
• #14 Abby Wolterman: 6-foot junior forward
• #20 Macey Blevins: 5-foot-10 senior guard
• #21 Jaci Jones: 5-foot-5 graduate guard
• #35 Halle Idowu: 5-foot-11 graduate guard/forward

On Thursday, 34 of NKU’s points came in the paint. After shooting 20-51 from the field, though, it almost seems like the Norse can’t produce from beyond the arc. However, the team added 9-29 (31%) from three. As a team, NKU grabbed 33 rebounds and added 14 assists. The problem for this team though, is turnovers. The Norse counted 19 turnovers against Middle Tennessee, resulting in the Blue Raiders earning 22 points off the miscues. Luckily for Kentucky, the ‘Cats know how to capitalize off of those mistakes. Against USC Upstate, Kentucky earned 34 points off of the Spartans’ 18 turnovers.

The Norse committed 17 fouls, resulting in 16 Blue Raider points at the line. Kentucky shot near perfect from the free throw line against the Spartans, going 20-25 (80%). Plus, the ‘Cats out-size the Norse in every position of the starting lineup.

Scouting Report

The primary for objective for Kentucky should to share the wealth in this game. The ‘Cats are the much bigger, longer, physical and more talented team, so playing like it is key. Use that talent. Against USC Upstate, Kentucky had 26 assists on 35 made shots. Expect to see similar numbers Thursday night.

As for what the Norse bring to the table, fifth-year senior guard Halle Idowu is the main name to look out for. Against Middle Tennessee, she posted a team-high 18 points while shooting an efficient 7-9 (3-4 3PT) from the field. She’s a crafty scorer who can expose bad defense — something that Kentucky shows glimpses of from time-to-time, at least on the perimeter.

Sophomore Gabby Razzano is another player who can make an impact on the game. She had 11 points against Middle Tennessee on Monday while shooting 3-5 from beyond the arc. Additionally, the 6-foot-2 forward grabbed six rebounds while dishing out two assists as well. With her ability to shoot the three, she’ll allow Northern Kentucky to open up their offense, and the ‘Cats are going to have to account for her at all times.

Former Wayne County Cardinal Macey Blevins was Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team, and she can definitely hurt you too if you don’t watch out for her. Against the Blue Raiders, she put up nine points, four rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes of play.

Projected Kentucky Starters

(Starting lineup and stats based on the last game)

#3 – Georgia Amoore

5-FOOT-6 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT

11 PPG – 6 RPG – 10 APG

#7 – Teonni Key

6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – JUNIOR

14 PPG – 9 RPG – 5 APG

#10 – Dazia Lawrence

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – REDSHIRT SENIOR

9 PPG – 2 APG

#13 – Clara Strack

6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – SOPHOMORE

22 PPG – 6 RPG – 2 APG

#32 – Amelia Hassett

6-FOOT-3 – FORWARD – JUNIOR

14 PPG – 9 RPG – 2 APG

How to Watch/Listen

Place	Tipoff	TV	Radio	Live Stats
Historic Memorial Coliseum (Lexington, KY)	6 p.m. EST	SEC Network+ (Jeff Piecoro and Christi Thomas)	– 630 WLAP and SiriusXM Channel 161 or 191 (Darren Headrick)	StatBroadcast

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates as your eyes and ears inside Historic Memorial Coliseum while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).

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