By Don Owen
NKyTribune sports editor
The jumpers weren’t falling for Trevon Faulkner on Thursday night, but that didn’t stop the junior guard from impacting Northern Kentucky’s 74-65 victory over Tennessee Tech.
Faulkner collected a career-high six steals, pulled down seven rebounds and dished out five assists on an evening in which he shot 4-for-13 from the field. The Mercer County High School graduate also finished with 14 points — one of five NKU players in double figures — as the Norse improved to 2-0.
“You can’t be one dimensional,” Faulkner said. “The offense really wasn’t (there), so I was trying to pick it up defensively, because that was our goal. I try to do the little things, and that’s what wins games.”
Faulkner also buried the biggest shot of the game with 1:23 remaining and NKU holding a 68-62 lead. With the shot clock winding down, Faulkner rose above Tennessee Tech defender Jr. Clay and launched a 24-footer that found the bottom of the net. It extended the NKU lead to 71-62 and halted a Tennessee Tech rally that had trimmed a 15-point Norse cushion to 68-62.
“It was a player making plays,” Faulkner said of his clutch 3-pointer that sealed NKU’s win. “Just an opportunity. A shooter keeps shooting.”
NKU head coach Darrin Horn wasn’t surprised by Faulkner’s overall performance or the clutch shot late in the contest.
“That’s impacting the game for winning,” Horn said. “That’s what he does above all else.”
Bryson Langdon led NKU with 15 points, while Adrian Nelson notched his second straight double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Norse freshmen Trey Robinson (14 points) and David Böhm (12 points) also netted double-figure scoring totals and played key roles in the opening 20 minutes.
Robinson scored 11 points in the first half as NKU battled back from a 22-14 deficit to even the score at 32-all. Robinson buried a pair of 3-pointers during the run, including a trey from the left corner that tied the game with 3:40 remaining before the break.
Böhm added nine points before intermission, including a triple that gave NKU a 39-36 lead going into the break.
Faulkner said NKU’s freshmen have made big impressions early in the season, and he’s not surprised.
“They’re hard workers,” Faulkner said. “They don’t give up. They come to practice every day and compete. They don’t get down on themselves, and it shows on the court.”
Freshman guard Marques Warrick added seven points for NKU, which won despite making just 39.1 percent of its shots from the field. The Norse were 6-for-27 from 3-point range and converted 18 of 27 free throws.
Austin Harvell scored 12 points to lead Tennessee Tech, which dropped to 0-4. The Golden Eagles shot 47.9 percent from the field and held a 40-39 edge in rebounds. NKU forced Tennessee Tech into 20 turnovers and finished with a 19-5 advantage in points off those miscues.
Thursday marked the first-ever meeting between NKU and Tennessee Tech in men’s basketball. The Golden Eagles compete in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Faulkner’s six steals tied NKU’s record for the Division I era. Jalen Tate also collected six steals against IUPUI on Feb. 14, 2020.
NKU will play at UT Chattanooga on Saturday in a game that was originally scheduled for last week. The tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 74, TENNESSEE TECH 65
TENNESSEE TECH (65)
Davidson 3-5 0-0 7, White 3-8 4-8 11, Smith 2-2 0-0 5, Harvell 5-7 1-1 12, Goldman 0-3 0-3 0, Sylla 2-3 1-3 5, Quest 0-1 4-6 4, Hopkins 4-5 0-0 8, Peter 0-0 0-0 0, Stayton 1-2 0-0 3, Clay 3-12 1-2 10. Totals 23-48 11-23 65.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY (74)
Faulkner 4-13 5-8 14, Langdon 5-13 4-4 15, Eleeda 0-3 0-0 0, Nelson 5-10 0-0 10, Warrick 2-6 2-2 7, Robinson 4-7 4-7 14, Harge 1-2 0-0 2, Böhm 4-8 3-6 12, Harding 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 25-65 18-27 74.
HALFTIME: NKU 39-36. 3-POINTERS: (NKU 6-27, TTU 8-23). REBOUNDS: NKU 39 (Nelson 14), TTU 40 (Harvell 10).
RECORDS: NKU 2-0, Tennessee Tech 0-4.
Don Owen is sports editor of the Northern Kentucky Tribune. Contact him at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport.