NKyTribune staff
MOREHEAD — Craig Conley now has company in Northern Kentucky University’s triple-double club, which welcomed its long-awaited second member Tuesday night inside Johnson Arena.
It took nearly 18 years for someone else in an NKU uniform to do it, and it’s only fitting that Drew McDonald pulled off the triple-double feat during a 93-71 win over Morehead State. The former Newport Central Catholic star finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists as NKU (7-1) steamrolled the host Eagles (2-5).
“Drew has a great feel for the game, an unbelievable savvy out on the court, and he was outstanding to get a triple-double,” NKU head coach John Brannen said, then jokingly adding, “Of course, I’m going to mess with him because I think he was trying to get a quadruple-double with those six turnovers.”
McDonald tallied 10 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the first half as NKU built a 46-38 lead at the break. Dantez Walton netted 12 points during the opening 20 minutes for the Norse.
In the second half, Tyler Sharpe netted 19 of his career-high 28 points to ignite the NKU victory. Sharpe buried five 3-pointers and was 8-for-14 from the field. Zaynah Robinson added 20 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Norse, who blistered the nets for 67.9 percent shooting in the second half and 62.7 percent for the game.
“Tyler was phenomenal, both offensively and defensively,” Brannen said of Sharpe, who was 4-for-4 in the second half from 3-point range. “This was without a doubt Zaynah’s best performance in an NKU uniform. In the second half we really guarded and communicated well. Offensively, we were in rhythm all night and this is an outstanding win on the road.”
Walton finished with 15 points and five rebounds, while Trevon Faulkner and Paul Djoko each added six points. NKU played without standout guard Jalen Tate, who sat out his second straight game with a groin injury.
“Dantez is a lockdown defender who doesn’t get enough credit,” Brannen said, noting Walton helped limit Morehead State star Lamontray Harris to just two points in the first half. “Dantez is fully committed to being a team captain, and his play in the first half was a key to getting ahead of them.”
A.J. Hicks led Morehead State with 20 points, and Harris chipped in 15 points. The Eagles were held to 36 percent shooting from the field, and NKU finished with a 40-27 advantage in rebounds.
Morehead State owns a 7-4 advantage in the all-times series with NKU, but the Norse have won four of the past five games — including the last three meetings — with the Eagles.
NKU plays host to Maryland-Baltimore County at 7 p.m. Friday at BB&T Arena. UMBC garnered national headlines last March by becoming the first-ever No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed with a victory over Virginia in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
(Information compiled from NKU Athletics Communications and staff reports)