Monday night saw a hard-fought battle between the women’s basketball teams of NKU–ranking fifth in the Horizon League preseason poll–and Indiana State University Sycamores–ranked ninth in the Missouri Valley preseason poll. With eight new players on the Norse’s roster, it’s a whole new ball game for the 2023-2024 season.
The starting five for the Norse include Khamari Mitchell-Steen, Kalissa Lacy, Macey Blevins, Kailee Davis and Carter McCray.
While the Norse did not come out victorious, there was a lot of promising potential out of the team, with senior leader Kennedy Igo adding an impressive 19 points to the board.
Igo is stepping up to her new role as a team leader as she enters her senior season. While she has impressive games herself, she spoke on how important it is for her teammates to get their fair share as well. “This year our offense is new. Just trying to get people open and get their shots up,” Igo said.
In the first half fans saw an unfortunate injury from the starting point guard Kailee Davis, sitting her out for the rest of the match up. Stepping into the point guard role after the injury was junior Khamari Mitchell-Steen, who brought amazing energy and fire to the court. On top of the hustle and energy, she added 16 points to the final score.
Kalissa Lacy and Macey Blevins are two key players to watch, who brought consistency and key plays to the game. Lacy had five points and three assists in the first half. Bevins brought 14 points and five assists to the game. With both of these players beginning their junior season, they will play major roles on the team this year.
Blevins talked about this season, stating, “We have a lot of potential. Obviously we have a lot of new people that have never played together so it’s a learning experience, but I’m excited about this season.”
This season five freshmen were added to the roster with an immense amount of talent. Carter McCray led the team in rebounds and had a double-double against the Sycamores, with 33 minutes of playing time.
Head Coach Camryn Volz praised McCray, talking about her first year on the team. “Carter is pretty polished for a freshman and obviously has some growing to do and some things to learn, but fortunately for her she gets to learn through playing.”
In the second half, a new team appeared for the Norse. With a touchy start in the first half, there were many turnovers that left the Sycamores with the lead. As they entered the second half, there was a mentality switch and key players stepped up in their roles to help the Norse. By the third quarter, the score was 57-56 in favor of Indiana State.
With 41 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter Blevins fouled out, with Allison Basye replacing her for the remainder of the game. Basye ended her night with five points and made a crucial rebound near the end of the game to keep the Norse on pace with the Sycamores.
The final score of the overtime thriller was 85-82 in favor of Indiana State University, but the promising potential of NKU’s team left fans eager to see more. The next game for NKU women’s basketball is away against Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.