By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
NKU’s Darrin Horn coaches all season long to be ready for the games that count in March. But Sunday, in the Horizon Conference play-in game in Indianapolis, it looked like March would be a short month for the Norse.
They opened about as badly as a team can, missing their first 14 shots from the field against a Green Bay team that had already beaten NKU twice in the regular season.
But just when it looked like this was the end of Horn’s seven-year streak at NKU of never losing three games the same season to any team, when they were down 9-2, the Norse players had other ideas.
Although it wasn’t until the 10:33 mark in the game before NKU scored from the field. For nearly 25 percent of the game, NKU had gone field-goal-less.
And then with Donovan Oday, Kael Robinson and most importantly LJ Wells doing the major work, NKU caught up with the Phoenix, taking the lead somehow at 22-21, with 5:34 left in the first half and by hitting on 10 of their final 14 shots, took an improbable 36-30 lead into halftime.
“At this time of year, players have to make plays,” Horn told 1530 ESPN in his postgame show. That’s what it’s all about. And the 6-foot-8 Wells, an Eau Claire, Wisc., native left off all three all-conference teams in the coaches’ vote – meaning two coaches didn’t include him at all, Horn said – is making them pay.
“We didn’t let it affect us on the defensive end,” Horn said of the early shooting problems. “I thought our guys did a tremendous job of being locked in.”
Time and again, NKU went to Wells, when they weren’t going to New Zealander Robinson and Texan Oday, both transfers to NKU for their final college seasons. And it paid off, more than anyone – Horn included – could have ever imagined.
“After four years, I think I have to bring the poise and leadership,” Wells said.
NKU (20-13), with Horn’s fourth 20-win season and first since 2023, went on to win going away, 96-76, over an 18-15 Green Bay team to earn a spot in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Monday at Corteva Arena. The opponent will be regular-season winner Wright State, another team trying for the trifecta against NKU after a wild 92-91 win at the buzzer by a point at NKU a week ago.
Here’s the NKU honor roll. Start with Wells, who had game-highs of 26 points on eight-of-12 shooting and 10 of 12 from the free throw line with nine rebounds while recording four assists.
Robinson added 22 points on eight of 17 shooting with five of those (on 10 attempts) from three-point range while pulling down six rebounds.
Off the bench, Dan Gherezgher scored 19 points, all in the second half. He added four rebounds and four assists with his five three-pointers.
Oday finished with 18 points on six-of-12 shooting with four of seven on three-pointers in addition to four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
And finally, point guard Ethan Elliott passed for nine assists with five points and four rebounds.
In a game where NKU missed those first 14 shots, the Norse finished by hitting 12 of their last 18, scoring on an amazing eight of their first 11 three-point attempts (59 percent) in a 60-point second half to go up by 20, 82-62, with 3:43 left.
“Defense and rebounding,” those were the keys, Horn said as NKU crushed Green Bay, 37-25 on the boards, scoring 21 points off their 20 offensive rebounds.
NKU also had an edge by forcing nine Green Bay turnovers, resulting in 17 points, while turning the ball over just four times themselves.
SCORING SUMMARY
NKU 36 60 — 96
GREEN BAY 30 46 — 76
Northern Kentucky (20-13, 10-10 Horizon): Wells 8-12 0-0 10-12 26, Robinson 8-17 5-10 1-2 22, Oday 6-12 4-7 2-3 18, Elliott 2-7 0-2 1-2 5, Dozier 1-2 0-0 0-0 2, Gherezgher 6-15 5-9 2-2 19, Rakotonanahary 1-1 0-0 0-0 2, Tolliver 1-1 0-0 0-0 2, Nelson 0-0 0-0 0-0 0; Totals: 33-67 14-28 16-21 — 96
Green Bay (18-15, 12-8): O’Hara 6-10 0-2 6-6 18, Allen 7-14 1-1 3-4 18, Ruedinger 5-9 1-4 2-2 13, Hall 3-8 1-0 2-2 0, Wilkins 2-6 1-3 2-2 7, Todorovic 1-1 0-0 2-2 4, Thomas 1-1 0-0 1-1 3, Bethea 1-1 0-0 0-0 2, Wrecke 1-3 0-1 0-0 2; Totals: 27-53 4-14 18-19 — 6.