Tyler White scored 23 points, including 15 in the second half, and Northern Kentucky went on furious second-half run, but couldn’t overcome Milwaukee in a 86-69 setback in the opening round of the 2016 Little Caesar’s Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship.
White converted 9-of-18 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the line in his final game as a Norse.
Lavone Holland II and Drew McDonald joined White in double-figures with 13 each and Cole Murray chimed in with nine, going 3-for-5 from long range. Jalen Billups posted a team-high five boards to help NKU edge Milwaukee on the glass, 31-29.
NKU won the opening tip and hit the first basket of the game, a three from White.
After Milwaukee scored the next eight points, Holland converted from deep to pull NKU within a pair, 8-6.
However, the Norse trailed 44-28 at the break as the Panthers methodically pulled ahead. White scored eight points in the frame and helped NKU convert 54.5 percent of its threes. However, a 10-2 discrepancy in fouls led to a 10-2 Panther advantage at the charity stripe.
The Norse deficit extended to as much as 22 early in the second half before a furious comeback brought them to within single-digits.
First, White went on a personal 6-0 run. Then moments later, White ignited an 8-0 spurt with a driving layup. McDonald ended that run with a baseline jumper.
Following a pair of Panther free throws from Matt Tiby, Cole Murray canned a three and McDonald hit another jumper to get the Norse within eight, 59-51, with 9:11 to play.
The extended 21-9 run from the Norse was over a period of seven minutes.
But, Tiby had five-straight for the Panthers to pushing the Norse deficit back to double-figures and NKU couldn’t get over the hump.
Northern Kentucky closed its season with a 9-21 mark, including 5-13 record in the Horizon League. NKU’s league record earned it a share of eighth-place in the standings, surpassing the preseason polls that predicted a 10th-place finish.
Norse Notes
— White reached double-figures for the sixth time in the last seven games, which includes three 20-point contests. He finished his career with 1,114 points as a Norse.
— Billups closed his career with 1,185 points, which ranks 20th all-time, and 599 boards, 11th-best in NKU’s record books.
McDonald’s double-digit scoring effort was his sixth in a row and 16th in the last 21 games.
From NKU Athletics