Wesleyan seeks three-game sweep of Northern Kentucky - Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

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There's an adage in basketball that one of the toughest feats is to beat a team three times in one season.

The Kentucky Wesleyan College women's basketball team will be looking to prove it's up to that task today.

Sixth-seeded KWC hosts No. 7 seed Northern Kentucky in the opening round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament at 5:15 p.m. at the Sportscenter.

The Panthers claimed both regular-season meetings, but having won by a combined five points -- 67-63 and 53-52 -- will likely negate any chance of them being overconfident.

"Absolutely not," said KWC co-head coach Nicole Nieman of whether she's worried about her players taking the Norse lightly. "Our girls know what kind of team Northern is. They're a tough team, and they're going to show toughness."

KWC (17-8, 11-7 GLVC) has shown plenty of toughness of its own this season and enters postseason play with a six-game winning streak. Nieman cited a team-first attitude among the players as having been the catalyst for the Panthers' success.

"We talked from the beginning about being all about the team, and we feel like all 11 players have bought into it," said Nieman, believes the approach she and her husband -- co-head coach Caleb Nieman -- took down the stretch will pay off in the tournament.

"The last six games, we've been playing each and every game as if it was our last game, because to be in control of what we want to do we had to come out and win. So the kids are used to that (pressure)."

Nieman is concerned about how the Panthers handle having not played in a week.

"We hope we come out and will be ready to play," she said. "Being off for a week, you have mental lapses easier. But Northern is in the same situation."

Northern Kentucky (17-9, 11-7) is led by ALL-GLVC first-team guard Casse Mogan, who averages 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds a contest. In addition to slowing Mogan, Nieman said the Panthers will have to match the Norse's physical play.

"They rebound very well, and we feel as though rebounding is going to be the game," Nieman said. "They also hold opponents to a low field-goal percentage."

KWC is led by all-conference third-team members Katie Behrens (11.3 ppg, 4.5 rebounds per game) and Amanda Harnist (10 ppg, 5.3 rpg), as well as Kristen Rowe (10.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg.). And as usual, the Panthers are counting on contributions from everyone, with 11 players averaging at least 4.1 ppg.

"We're going to be able to do some things against them," Nieman said. "But we have to be able to get the boards."

The winner advances to the quarterfinals, which will be played on Friday at Maryville University in St. Louis.

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