Sharpe sizzles nets for career-high 30 points, NKU rolls to 79-64 win over Illinois State on Sunday

By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

A driving layup here. A pull-up jumper there. A barrage of 3-pointers swishing through the nets everywhere.

Welcome to Sunday afternoon basketball at BB&T Arena, where Northern Kentucky’s Tyler Sharpe put on a show against Illinois State. Sharpe poured in a career-high 30 points — 15 in each half — as NKU rolled to a 79-64 victory over the visiting Redbirds.

“I call it a slump-buster,” said Sharpe, who was 10-for-17 from the field, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range. “Today felt good for sure, to get kind of back in the rhythm shooting threes.”

Sharpe entered Sunday having made just two of his previous 13 attempts from beyond the arc the past two games. The Bullitt East graduate found his rhythm early in the game by going to the basket, converting a pair of driving layups and a jumper as NKU built an 18-13 lead.

He later buried a pair of 3-pointers as NKU took a 43-36 advantage into the locker room. The Norse shredded the Illinois State defense for 60.7 percent shooting from the field during the opening 20 minutes.

Dantez Walton netted 14 of his 19 points in the first half, shooting 5-for-7 from the field. He also drained a pair of 3-pointers before the break and finished with a career-high seven assists.

“I thought it was a really complete performance by our guys,” NKU head coach Darrin Horn said after his team improved to 8-3 with its third straight victory. “We did such a nice job of sharing the basketball with 19 assists on 28 makes, which is really a credit to our players for being so unselfish.

“Of course, Tyler Sharpe was absolutely huge today. He was great in the first half, and maybe even better in the second. I’m really proud of him, and the progress he continues to make.”

Sharpe resumed his scoring rampage in the second half as NKU extended its lead to as many as 19 points. The Norse used a 13-0 run to turn a 48-43 advantage into a 61-43 cushion when Trevon Faulkner scored on a drive to the basket.

Sharpe, Walton and Bryson Langdon all drained 3-pointers to ignite the NKU spurt.

“Don’t settle. Find the first open shot and take it with confidence,” Walton said the NKU coaching staff had told the team prior to the game.

Walton and Sharpe combined to shoot 17-for-27 from the field, including 8-for-14 from 3-point range. NKU finished 11-for-25 from 3-point range and shot 52.8 percent from the field.

Sharpe — whose previous career-high was 28 points against Morehead State — also collected three steals and added four assists on Sunday.

Rey Idowu led Illinois State (4-6) with 14 points. Zach Copeland added 13 points for the Redbirds, who shot 49.1 percent from the field. The Norse also limited Illinois State to just 5-for-14 shooting from 3-point range.

“Illinois State is almost 40 percent as a team,” Horn said of the visitors’ ability from 3-point range. “That’s not one or two guys. They have seven of eight guys who are capable of making three or four [3-pointers] on a given night. To hold them to a total of five threes was really good.”

Silas Adheke added eight points and four rebounds as NKU defeated Illinois State in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Faulkner finished with nine points and three steals, while Langdon dished out five assists and scored seven points.

Between the second half of last week’s game against Eastern Kentucky and the first half of Sunday’s contest with Illinois State, NKU shot 34-of-52 (65.4 percent) from the floor. NKU has shot better than 50 percent from the field in four of the last five games.

NKU will hit the road next Saturday to meet UNC Greensboro at 7 p.m. The Spartans are 8-3 after dropping a heartbreaking 80-77 decision to North Carolina State on Sunday. Markell Johnson hit a running shot from halfcourt at the buzzer to give the Wolfpack the win.

Johnson’s shot came immediately after a basket by UNCG’s Isaiah Miller had tied the score at 77-77 with 2.1 seconds remaining. 

NORTHERN KENTUCKY 79, ILLINOIS STATE 64
ILLINOIS STATE (64)
Idowu 6-7 2-2 14, Fisher 2-4 0-4 4, Horne 2-5 0-0 4, Copeland 5-10 1-1 13, Hillsman 1-1 0-0 2, Torres 2-2 0-0 4, Reeves 3-8 0-0 7, Chastain 2-7 0-0 4, Bruninga 0-2 0-0 0, Boyd 3-9 0-0 8, Donnelly 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 28-57 3-7 64.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY (79)
Sharpe 10-17 5-6 30, Adheke 3-3 1-1 8, Walton 7-10 2-3 19, Faulkner 4-9 0-1 9, Langdon 2-5 2-2 7, Eleeda 0-4 0-0 0, Nelson 2-3 2-5 6, Harris 0-2 0-0 0, Mocaby 0-0 0-0 0, Djoko 0-0 0-0 0, Wasser 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-53 12-18 79.
HALFTIME: NKU 43-36. 3-POINTERS: (NKU 11-25, ISU 5-14). REBOUNDS: NKU 29 (Walton 6), ISU 31 (Fisher 6).
RECORDS: NKU 8-3, ISU 4-6.