WKU will play its second in-state foe Saturday when it hosts Northern Kentucky during the 30th annual BB&T Classic at 5:30 p.m. in Diddle Arena.

The Lady Toppers will be looking to improve off their impressive road win last week at Murray State.

Northern Kentucky will come in to the game 0-2 after losses to Cincinnati and Miami (Ohio).

Coach Michelle Clark-Heard said the team will waste no time setting the tone against the Norse.

“Our goal is to get out of the gates running, put that pressure defense on, take care of ourselves and get better,” Heard said. “I think they shoot the three very well. They have some post kids with some size. With our size issues, sometimes that can cause problems in different ways.”

Heard specifically pointed out NKU’s junior guard Kayla Thacker, who posted a career-high 16 points against Miami.

“She’s a very aggressive player that basically just loves to put the ball in the hole,” Heard said. “She loves to drive to get to the basket. She can shoot it.”

The Lady Toppers will have freshman guard LeAsia Wright return to the active roster after dealing with a thumb injury. Heard said her playing time may be limited, but her presence will provide a spark defensively.

“I don’t know conditioning-wise and how much she’ll play, but she practiced some (Wednesday),” Heard said. “It was really exciting, because she gave us a burst of energy on defense. I’m looking forward to her getting out there on the floor Saturday and everybody getting a chance to see her.”