The NKU women’s basketball team will retain bragging rights over the University of Cincinnati Bearcats women’s basketball team as the Norse defeated the Bearcats for the second year in a row by a score of 66-52 at The Bank of Kentucky Center on Wednesday night.

NKU is now 2-1 over Cincinnati since reclassifying to Division I in 2012.

“I think Cincinnati is a very good team,” NKU Head Coach Dawn Plitzuweit said. “We’re very fortunate that they agreed to come into the BOK to play.”

Rianna Gayheart had a season-high 12 points to lead the Norse in scoring on the night. Christine Roush and Kaitlyn Garrety each had 11 points.

“My teammates had confidence in me to keep shooting, and to keep being an aggressor, not let the missed shots get to me,  to keep taking the ball to the rim, and giving the ball to other players,” Roush said.

NKU led at halftime 32-26, before Cincinnati came out of the halftime on a 5-0 run. The Norse responded with a 9-0 run of their own to put the game out of the Bearcats’ reach.

With the win, NKU improves to 6-5 on the season and is now riding a two-game win streak. The Norse are also playing three games in five days, having beat Marquette on Monday and will face Delaware on Friday.

Plitzuweit said the team had one practice after Monday’s Marquette game to prepare for the Bearcats.

“It’s tough for our kids to do,” Plitzuweit said. “It speaks volumes of the attention and commitment of our players.”

The Norse will next face Delaware in a neutral-court matchup at Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena at 7:00 p.m on Friday night.