The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team earned its 20th win of the season on Friday, defeating UIC, 90-82, at BB&T Arena. With the win, NKU can finish no worse than fourth in the Horizon League.
NKU now sits at 20-10 overall and 11-6 in the Horizon League. The Flames dip to 14-16 overall and 7-10 in the League.
NKU trailed 37-36 at the break despite 12 points from McDonald in the frame. After the Flames built as much as a nine-point lead, the Norse kept battling and used Murray’s three at the 4:58 mark to take their first lead, 31-29. The Norse shot just 42 percent compared to 52 for the Flames, but converted 13 UIC turnovers in 11 points. Holland added nine points and Faulkner tallied eight.
All of Faulkner’s eight first-half points came uninterrupted within a two minute span.
NKU out-scored UIC in the second half, 54-45. The second half saw 17 lead changes and eight ties as the teams traded buckets to open the period. Neither squad led by more than two points between the 13:54 mark and 3:11 mark.
STATS LEADERS
• Drew McDonald led four players in double figures. The sophomore netted 27 points in his 32 minutes played and was one rebound shy of a double-double. All nine of his boards came on the defensive end.
• McDonald shot 10-for-17 from the field, including 2-of-4 from three and a perfect 5-for-5 showing at the line.
• Lavone Holland II went 6-for-10 with a pair of triples for 19 total points. He dished out six assists and pulled down a trio of rebounds.
• Cole Murray followed with 16 points after going 4-for-7 from three. Murray added three assists and four rebounds.
• Mason Faulkner rounded out NKU’s double-figure scorers with 13 points..
GAME NOTES
• Murray now has 900 career points, putting him in 32nd all-time at NKU.
• Friday’s game was the first time NKU has scored 90 points since a 97-73 win over Brescia on Dec. 21, 2016.
• In the last two games, Holland has posted 38 points and 12 assists.
• McDonald has scored double figures in 42 of the last 51 games dating back to last season. He has 45 points over the last two contests.
• The Norse improve to 11-2 at home this year as they have won five-straight at BB&T Arena.
• NKU is 11-2 when at least four players score in double figures.
• Holland has posted at least five assists in 13 of NKU’s 30 games, totaling 116 on the season.
NEXT UP
• Cole Murray, Matt Rosenwinkel and Dean Danos will be honored prior to Northern Kentucky’s final regular-season game on Sunday at 1 p.m. (ET) versus Valparaiso. The game is part of a doubleheader with the Norse women’s team, which hosts Green Bay in a 3:30 p.m. start.
Sharp shooting from long range bolsters NKU women in win over Milwaukee
Northern Kentucky women’s basketball stunned Milwaukee on Friday night, taking down the Panthers 72-51. Milwaukee entered the game tied for third in the Horizon League. With the win, NKU advances to 9-20 overall and 5-12 in League play, while the Panthers were denied their 20th win of the season and drop to 19-9 (11-6 HL).
The Norse came out hot in the first half, shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 60.0 percent from 3-point range, draining six triples in the first 20 minutes of action. Terry led NKU with nine points, going 2-of-2 from long range. NKU also had treys from Combs, Thomas, Wiegman, and a buzzer-beating deep three from Davis to end the first quarter.
Davis added seven points, dished out three assists and recorded two steals for the Norse. Milwaukee was held to 32.1 percent from the field and trailed 36-23 at the half. The Norse outscored the Panthers 22-9 in the first quarter, marking the first time this season that UWM has been held under 10 points in the first quarter.
The Norse continued to roll through the Panthers in the second half, outscoring UWM 20-14 in the third quarter and 16-14 in the fourth. NKU upped its 3-point shooting even more, going a perfect 3-for-3 in the third before a 4-of-6 showing in the final frame.
Taugher exploded for 14 points in the second half, going 4-for-4 from beyond the arc.
Stat Leaders
• Senior guard Shar’Rae Davis had a season-best 16 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. Davis also had five assists with no turnovers, and tied for the team lead in steals with two.
• Redshirt-freshman guard Taryn Taugher also had 16 points for the Norse, going on a rampage from beyond the arc with a 4-of-5 performance.
• Junior guard Mikayla Terry added 13 points and a team-high seven assists while committing no errors.
• Senior forward Rebecca Lyttle rounded out the top scorers with 12 points.
• Senior guard Sarah Kinch made her first appearance of the season after sitting out the first 28 games to injury. Kinch sank a 3-pointer in the final minute and also recorded a block, an assist and a steal.
Up Next
The Norse host Green Bay on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET for Senior Day, which will honor the graduating class of Shar’Rae Davis, Sarah Kinch, Rebecca Lyttle and Kelley Wiegman. The game will be broadcast on the ESPN3 platform and can be streamed live on computers, tablets and smart phones through WatchESPN and the ESPN App.
From NKU Athletics