HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Three players scored in double figures led by junior Alyssa Frye, who scored 20 points and made six three-pointers as the College of Charleston women’s basketball team beat Northern Kentucky 72-70 in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational on Wednesday.
With the victory the Cougars (16-15), who are the five seed in the tournament and Northern Kentucky was the four seed, advance to the second round where they will play the winner of Detroit and Belmont, who square off tomorrow at 7:00 p.m.
The first half went back and forth and Northern Kentucky (15-13) led by as many as six points at 16-10 with 13:09 to play in the first half. The Cougars responded with a 15-7 run over the next six minutes to go up 25-23 and had a 33-32 lead at halftime.
The Cougars held Northern Kentucky scoreless for the first four minutes to start the second half as they used a 14-2 run to go up 13 at 47-34 with 14:34 left in the game.
Northern Kentucky would not go down without a fight as they cut the Cougar lead to three at 63-60 with 3:39 to go in the game.
A Harris basket and two Tolbert free-throws put CofC up 67-60, but Northern Kentucky converted a three-pointer and another jumper to get back to 67-65 with 1:57 to play.
The Cougars and Norse traded three-pointers and Brown made a free-throw to put the Cougars up 71-68 with 31 seconds remaining. Northern Kentucky made two free-throws to get to within one at 71-70 and Brown was fouled on the next Cougar possession.
Brown made one of two from the free-throw line and the Cougars got a stop on the last Northern Kentucky possession to secure the 72-70 victory.
