By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter
An impressive streak is certain to end Thursday night when Northern Kentucky University plays host to Youngstown State at BB&T Arena. The question is, which one?
Youngstown State enters Thursday riding a six-game winning streak — the longest in the Horizon League — and has vaulted into a tie for fifth place in the standings, just a half game out of third. The Penguins are the hottest team in the Horizon League and are in position to secure a first-round home game in the postseason if they continue to win.
In terms of streaks, something has to give Thursday night. The opening tip is set for 7 p.m.
Youngstown State is 12-16 overall, 8-7 in the Horizon League. NKU is 20-7 overall and is tied with Wright State atop the Horizon League standings with a 10-4 record.
Freshman guard Darius Quisenberry poured in 37 points against Illinois-Chicago to ignite Youngstown State’s 81-73 win last Saturday. He shot 10-for-19 from the field in that victory and was 14-of-16 from the free-throw line.
Quisenberry averages a team-leading 13.9 points per game and has dished out 107 assists. Garrett Covington is scoring 10.7 points per game for the Penguins, who are 4-3 on the road in Horizon League play.
NKU will try to bounce back from an 81-77 loss at Wright State on Friday night. The Norse built a 16-point lead in the first half but watched as the Raiders rallied to pull out the win and claim a share of first place in the Horizon League. Drew McDonald led NKU with 23 points and nine rebounds.
McDonald averages 19.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He enters Thursday night No. 3 all-time in NKU history with 1,949 points. Craig Sanders is NKU’s career leader with 2,007 points, and Brady Jackson is No. 2 with 1,980 points.
McDonald’s 12 double-doubles this season rank 21st nationally, and he is one of five active players in Division I basketball with at least 1,900 career points (1,949) and 1,000 career boards (1,029). He also has the seventh-most career double-doubles (46) among active players.
Tyler Sharpe is scoring 14.3 points per game, and his 71 made 3-pointers this season rank 69th nationally. Jalen Tate averages 13.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Earlier this season, McDonald poured in 15 of his 23 points in the second half as NKU cruised to an 82-74 win over Youngstown State in the Beeghly Center. Tate and Sharpe each added 13 points for the Norse.
Tate scored 11 points in the first half as NKU built a 38-34 lead, while Sharpe added 10 points before intermission. Zaynah Robinson netted eight of his nine points in the second half — including a pair of 3-pointers — as the Norse defeated the Penguins for the fourth consecutive time.
Youngstown State holds a 9-8 lead in the all-time series with NKU, but the Norse have won six of the nine meetings since moving to Division I.
Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport