Northern Kentucky Makes Program History With a 61–58 Win Over Kent State

After falling 79–28 to No. 14 Kentucky in Lexington, Northern Kentucky responded with resilience on Saturday afternoon, defeating Kent State 61–58 at Truist Arena. The win marks the first time in program history the Norse have beaten the Golden Flashes, entering the matchup 0–4 all‑time.

NKU opened the game with early momentum after Kent State’s Corynne Hauser knocked down two free throws to start the scoring. Gaia Castelli answered with back‑to‑back three‑pointers to give the Norse a 6–2 lead at the 8:07 mark. Both teams struggled to find rhythm throughout the quarter, but NKU held a 15–11 advantage after shooting 7‑of‑8 at the free‑throw line.

Kent State trimmed the deficit to 15–13 early in the second quarter, but NKU responded with a 5–0 run sparked by Caroline Eaglin and Maya Layton. The Norse extended their lead to 23–14 after an Anna Hamilton three‑pointer with 5:24 remaining. The Golden Flashes answered with a surge of their own, cutting the margin to 28–25 at halftime behind scoring from Hauser, Talia Harris, and Maddie Kiper.

Northern Kentucky came out of the locker room firing, opening the third quarter with a 9–0 run. Sara Basaran knocked down a free throw and a three, Layton added another triple, and Noelle Hubert finished at the rim to push the lead to 37–25. Kent State battled back to within six, but Castelli drilled a buzzer‑beating three to give NKU a 47–38 lead heading into the fourth.

Kent State continued to fight, opening the final quarter with a 6–0 run to cut the deficit to 47–44. NKU answered with an 8–3 stretch featuring free throws from Kennedy Younkin, a jumper from Castelli, and layups by Eaglin and Layton to extend the lead to 55–47.

The Golden Flashes refused to go away. Harris and Klatt combined for a 6–0 run to pull within 55–53 with under four minutes remaining. After Layton split a pair at the line, Kent State’s Whitney Stafford buried a three to tie the game at 56–56 with 53 seconds left.

NKU regained the lead when Hubert went 1‑for‑2 at the line. Stafford missed a jumper on the ensuing possession and fouled Castelli, who calmly knocked down both free throws to make it 59–56. Klatt scored quickly to bring Kent State within one, but Layton converted two clutch free throws with 10 seconds left. Stafford’s final three‑point attempt missed, sealing NKU’s historic win.

Northern Kentucky shot 34 percent from the field (18‑53), 28 percent from three (7‑25), and 75 percent at the line (18‑24). Kent State shot 35 percent overall (20‑57), 27 percent from deep (3‑11), and 63 percent at the line (15‑24).

Castelli led NKU with 15 points on 5‑of‑15 shooting and added 10 rebounds. Layton finished with 12 points and went 5‑of‑6 at the line, while Hubert added 10 points. Kent State’s Emory Klatt led all scorers with 16 points and eight rebounds. Hauser added 13 points and Harris contributed 12.

Northern Kentucky returns to Truist Arena on Thursday for an 11 a.m. matchup against Chattanooga on ESPN+.