By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
“Hello. Goodbye.”
That was the word from the Northern Kentucky Norse to their Truist Arena fans in Sunday’s Senior Day home finale.
Just like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland who was “late for a very important date” as he hurried down the rabbit hole, the Norse have some important dates while they hope not to head down that same rabbit hole.
“Hello. Goodbye.”
NKU’s Xavier Rhodes heads out for his Senior Day salute. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
NKU certainly made the most of the “Hello” part, whacking IUPUI, 86-47, for a season sweep that showcased the trio of seniors NKU was saying goodbye to – point guard Xavier Rhodes, post man Chris Brandon and wing man Trevon Faulkner.
“Hello. Goodbye.”
Call it a sweet sayonara moment for an NKU team that’s been on the road the last two weeks coming into this one and will now finish up the winter in Cleveland and Detroit thanks to an Alice in Wonderland Horizon League schedule unlike anything ever seen in any conference in America.
“Hello. Goodbye.”
The NKU media guide has a full page dedicated to 55 entries describing “the last time it happened . . . .” But even in that first season in 1971-72, with no home gym, the Norse did not have to play this many road games in a month. Now they have entry No. 56 for next season.
“Hello. Goodbye.”
For those doing the math, Sunday is the lone game day at home in Highland Heights the last 28 days of the regular season. To put that into context, the longest road trip in Major League Baseball history came in 1992 when the Seattle Mariners had no home games for 32 straight days. But at least they had a good excuse. The roof tiles in the crumbling Kingdome were falling onto the field and no one could go there.
“Hello. Goodbye.”
Chris Brandon gets his name called on NKU’s Senior Day (Photo by Dale Dawn)
As for the “Goodbye” part, good job by the Norse to end a two-game losing skid as they sent their senior regulars – first-year transfer Rhodes out of Lees Summit, Missouri; off-guard grad student Faulkner out of Harrodsburg and post player Chris Brandon out of Houston — off with a big conference victory. The win improves NKU to 13-3 at Truist as opposed to 3-8 outside the city limits of Highland Heights meaning the final four road games will be no picnic.
“Hello. Goodbye.”
But this game proved to be easy pickings as NKU turned the Jaguars over 21 times to just 12 of their own, jumping out to a 15-point halftime lead after holding the Jaguars scoreless for more than six minutes going into intermission and then turned up the heat even more in a 48-24 second half.
As usual, Marques Warrick led the Norse in scoring with 21. Sophomore Sam Vinson contributed nine.
But the three seniors delivered a ton of offense on this day when NKU hit on 60.0 percent (30 of 50) of its field goal attempts and an amazing 50 percent (13 of 26) from three-point range.
“We stepped in and shot the ball with confidence,” NKU Coach Darrin Horn said, something the Norse don’t always do. “It was a total team effort. With this group we need everybody to contribute.”
Like all three seniors.
Harrodsburg’s Trevon Faulkner gets his Senior Day call at NKU. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
*** Faulkner, who holds the NKU record for most career games started and played and is No. 9 on the all-time scoring list, fired in 15 points. Over his five years at NKU, the Norse have won two league titles and have earned a pair of NCAA Tournament bids.
“I got a little teary-eyed,” Faulkner said. “It felt good playing in front of the home crowd that’s been here since I was a freshman.”
As to the difficulty of playing on the road now, Faulkner said it was simply a matter “of staying together.”
“Hello. Goodbye.”
*** The 6-foot-8 Brandon, often the only real size on the floor for NKU, added 13 points with five rebounds. The Detroit Mercy transfer in his second year at NKU is 12th in the nation in rebounding with 248 and 24th in rebound average with 9.5 a game.
NKU’s Marques Warrick eyes the basket (Photo by Dale Dawn)
*** In just his first year at NKU, Florida Southern transfer Rhodes added nine points with seven assists and three steals Sunday. With his scoring at Florida Southern, Rhodes joined the 1,000-point club this season while ranking ninth in assists in the Horizon with 3.6 a game and third in the league with 2.0 steals a game.
At 11-5 in the Horizon League now, the 16-11 Norse are tied for third with Cleveland State and just a game behind both Milwaukee and Youngstown State. NKU will face Cleveland State Sunday after playing a 7-9 Purdue-Ft. Wayne team that upset NKU last month on Friday. The next week, NKU concludes the regular season at Detroit Mercy Thursday, Feb. 23, and Oakland Saturday, Feb. 25.
BOX SCORE
IUPUI 23 24—47
NKU 38 48—86
IUPUI (4-23, 1-15 Horizon): Brady 17, Osten 6, Counter 3, Jackson 3, Armon 6, Carrasco 6, Stanton 2, Jarrard 2, Taylor 2, TOTAL: 47.
NKU (16-11, 11-5 Horizon): Warrick 21, Faulkner 15, Brandon 13, Vinson 9, Rhodes 9, Robinson 7, Sumler 6, Zorgvol 4, Pivorius 2, TOTAL: 86.
