A pivotal first-half run from the Northern Kentucky men’s basketball team helped the Norse cruise to a 79-62 victory over UIC on Friday night at UIC Pavilion to give NKU a Division-I era record 14 single-season wins with nine regular-season games remaining.
With the victory, the Norse sit at 14-8 on the year and 5-4 in the Horizon League. The Flames dipped to 11-10 overall and 4-4 in the Horizon League.
Mason Faulkner led five Norse in double-figures with 19 total points to go with six rebounds including five on the defensive end. The freshman went 7-for-12 from the field and 5-for-7 from the charity stripe.
Lavone Holland II followed with 16 total points and matched Faulkner with six rebounds. Cole Murray chipped in 12 points on four triples, while Drew McDonald and Dantez Walton posted 10 points apiece.
Walton’s 10 points came in his first 10 minutes of play in the first period. He came within one of his career-high in both points and rebounds after pulling down five boards.
Jordan Garnett pulled down a team-high seven rebounds and had a pair of assists with three points.
After UIC led for the first 15 minutes of the game, NKU used the perimeter to chip away at the deficit, sinking six triples in a four-minute span.
A triple from McDonald at the 5:52 mark gave the Norse their first lead of the game, which grew to a 39-27 advantage with 2:21 left in the first half. NKU rode a 12-2 run that featured six points from Walton to take control of the game.
The Norse defense held UIC to 33.3 percent shooting (10-for-30) from the field in the second-half to keep the Flames at a distance and lead by as many as 23.
GAME NOTES
· The Norse forced a season-high 23 turnovers with the help of a season-high 11 steals distributed among six different players. Their 23 turnovers were converted into 26 points while UIC managed 15 points off turnovers.
· Northern Kentucky also edged UIC in second-chance points, 20-7, despite just narrowly leading in offensive rebounds, 14-12. NKU won the rebounding battle overall, 45-42.
· The Norse improved to 10-1 on the season when holding opponents to 70 points or less.
· Faulkner has 57 points and 15 rebounds in the last three games.
· NKU has had at least one freshman post double-figures in each of the last 12 games and 16 of NKU’s 22 total games this season.
· NKU improved to 2-1 all-time against UIC after taking on the Flames for the first time this season.
UP NEXT
· The Norse turn around to take on Horizon League foe Valparaiso on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET. The Crusaders sit atop the League standings at 7-1 and are 17-4 overall.
Golden Grizzlies pull away from Norse in fourth quarter
Northern Kentucky women’s basketball fought hard against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, but the game slipped away in the deciding fourth quarter to result in a 61-47 setback.
With the loss, NKU drops to 7-14 overall and 3-6 in Horizon League play while Oakland advances to 11-9 (5-4 HL).
Senior forward Rebecca Lyttle recorded the sixth double-double of her career, leading the team with 12 points and 13 rebounds while also adding two assists and two steals. Lyttle was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line for half of her point total. Junior guard Mikayla Terry just missed out on a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, leading the team on defense with three swipes.
Junior forward Kasey Uetrecht posted 11 points to round out the night’s scoring leaders.
Norse Notes
· Oakland now leads the all-time series, 6-3.
· The Norse shot 27.0 percent from the field, marking the lowest shooting percentage that NKU has had this year in League action and the second-lowest that the team has shot overall this year. Conversely, Oakland connected at a .473 clip.
· Oakland held the advantage in the majority of specialty stats, outscoring NKU in the paint 32-24 and scoring 13 points off turnovers to NKU’s 8.
· The Golden Grizzlies also held a large edge on rebounding, with a 45-36 advantage. However, NKU pulled down more offensive rebounds, 18-13.
· The Norse committed fewer errors than Oakland with 13 miscues, also grabbing nine steals and forcing an addition seven turnovers by the Golden Grizzlies.
Up Next
· The Norse stay home for Sunday’s contest, hosting Detroit Mercy at 1 p.m. ET. It will be the second meeting this year between the two teams as NKU has completed its first half of Horizon League action.
The game will be broadcast on the ESPN3 platform and will stream live on WatchESPN and the ESPN App. Sunday also recognizes National Girls and Women in Sports Day, with a multi-sport clinic hosted by NKU’s various women’s program following the game.
From NKU Athletics