A Friday night tilt at Horizon League foe marks the halfway point of the conference season for the Northern Kentucky men’s basketball team as the Norse and Titans will tipoff at 7 p.m. in Calihan Hall on Detroit’s campus.
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (7-12 Overall, 3-5 Horizon League)
University of Detroit Mercy “Detroit” Titans (9-10 Overall, 3-5 Horizon League)
Friday, Jan. 29 – 7 p.m. (ET)
Calihan Hall (8,295) in Detroit, Mich.
TV: ESPN3
Radio: ESPN1530 (1530 AM) with Andrew Kappes (Play-by-Play) and Steve Moeller (Analysis)
Suits and Sneakers Awareness Week
Coaches vs. Cancer Suits And Sneakers Week is a nationwide event when basketball coaches across the country unite for a common cause – saving lives from cancer. NKU’s coaches will participate in Suits & Sneakers to benefit Coaches vs. Cancer in Friday’s game.
Princess Lacey’s Laces
NKU’s coaches will also #LaceUpForLacey, wearing gold shoe laces in support of Princess Lacey’s Legacy.
Princess Lacey’s Laces are designed in honor of Lacey Holsworth, an 8-year-old Michigan State University basketball fan who passed away from cancer in 2014. As Michigan State University’s number one fan, Lacey and her special relationship with star player Adreian Payne drew media attention during the 2013-14 NCAA basketball season. Although she is missed, her memory gives hope to millions. The special gold laces are symbolic of the efforts to eliminate pediatric cancer.
Laces are available while supplies last at all Shoe Carnival stores and at shoecarnival.com/lacey beginning Jan. 25, 2016. The American Cancer Society will receive 85 percent of proceeds, and Princess Lacey’s Legacy will receive 15%. The funds going to the American Cancer Society will be restricted to pediatric cancer.
Fast Break Points
• NKU had won two games in a row prior to Sunday’s 71-46 setback against RV/RV Valpo.
• NKU faces a ninth opponent for the first-time this season when it takes the court with Detroit.
• Following Friday’s outing with Detroit, NKU will have made its first round through the Horizon League. It has a mark of 3-5.
• NKU is third in the Horizon League-only games in assists (14.4 apg), with G Lavone Holland II (4.3) ranking third, individually.
• F Jalen Billups and G Tyler White are climbing NKU’s all-time scoring list. Billups ranks t-22nd w/ 1,078 points & White is No. 28 (963).
• Billups led the nation w/ 69.6% shooting last year, and is among the nation’s leaders (No. 8) at 64.6% (104-161) this year.
• Billups ranks among NKU’s all-time leaders in FG % (2nd, .637), blocks (5th, 122) & blocks per game (11th, 1.1).
• Billups’ career 63.7 percent shooting ranks 20th all-time in the NCAA, two-tenths behind Lew Alcindor and Akeem Olajuwon.
• Billups is averaging an impressive 1.61 points per field-goal attempt this season.
• White has 170-career threes, ranking 9th all-time at Northern Kentucky.
• Holland is second on the team in scoring (11.9 ppg) and rebounds (5.3 rpg), but leads NKU in assists (4.2 apg).
• G Cole Murray matched NKU’s single-game 3-point field-goal percentage record with a 7-for-8 (87.5%) effort against UIC.
• Murray has had the hot hand from long range, shooting 44.9% (44-of-98) from behind the arc this year.
• Last week, F Drew McDonald was named #HLMBB Freshman of the Week for the second time in a three-week window.
• In Horizon League action, McDonald is averaging 11.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in those contests
• McDonald has reached double-figures in seven of the last 10 games and leads NKU in scoring (12.4) and rebounding (7.0) during that time.
From NKU Athletics