The home portion of the 2015-16 Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball schedule kicks off Tuesday night when Tiffin comes to BB&T Arena for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Tiffin enters the contest at 1-1 overall and is playing its third game in four days. The Dragons opened the season on Saturday with an 88-84 overtime win against Alderson Broadus, but dropped Sunday’s decision to Kentucky Wesleyan, 78-76.
Preseason All-GLIAC South honoree Khaleal McCormick paces TU’s offensive output at 20.5 points per game. He leads two other Dragons averaging in double-figures, Tony Kynard (15.5 ppg) and Andy Bachman (12.0).
Tuesday tipoff for Northern Kentucky’s first home game of the season (NKU Athletics Photo)
Northern Kentucky is 2-0 all-time against Tiffin. The two teams last met on Dec. 5, 2006, with the Norse running away with the win, 89-51. NKU and TU first met in 1987. The Norse won that matchup, 94-85.
White had 17 points and Holland chipped in 11, but the Norse fell to No. 23 West Virginia, 107-61, in their most recent outing. White played 35 minutes in the contest and connected on 6-of-7 from the free-throw line, while Holland shot 4-for-8 en route to his 11 points. NKU’s defense held WVU to 24 percent (6-of-25) 3-point shooting, but 30 Norse turnovers led to 44 points for the Mountaineers.
After shooting 46.0 percent last season, Northern Kentucky nearly picked up where it left off in its season-opener at No. 23 West Virginia. The Norse knocked down 44.7 percent of its shots against the Mountaineers’ “Press Virginia” defense. Billups, last year’s national leader in field-goal percentage at 69.6, helped the Norse with a 3-for-4 effort against the Mountaineers. Holland (4-for-8) and McDonald (3-for-5) also assisted NKU’s cause against WVU.
Game Notes
• As a team, NKU shot 45% from the floor against WVU and held the Mountaineers to just 24% from three.
• Among Horizon League teams that have played a game, NKU leads the League in 3-pt FG defense at 24 percent.
• NKU is second in the Horizon in shooting, connecting on 44.7% of its shots. Valpo tops the chart at 45.2 percent.
• F Jalen Billups led the nation with 69.6 percent shooting last year, setting NKU’s single-season record. He opened this year at 75 percent (3/4) vs. No. 23 WVU.
• Billups and G Tyler White climbed NKU’s all-time scoring list. Billups ranks 39th with 826 points & White checks in at No. 43 (770).
• White led NKU in made 3’s (66) in ’14-15 & is 13th in NKU’s record books with 143-career treys.
• White scored exactly 19 points in each of the final three games of the season and opened with 17 at No. 23 WVU.
• G Lavone Holland II made his NKU debut with 11 points (4-for-8 shooting) at No. 23 West Virginia.
• F/C Drew McDonald tallied 8 points in his collegiate debut on 3-for-5 shooting. He also pulled in 3 caroms in 18 minutes.
From NKU Athletics