Northern Kentucky University Athletics

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men's basketball team begins the regular season Sunday by traveling to Allendale, Mich., to meet Grand Valley State at 3 p.m.

NKU posted a 24-7 record last season and won the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship. The Norse advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament and lost to Lake Superior State, 75-72, in double overtime in the first round.

NKU is ranked 17th nationally by Basketball Times in that publication's preseason poll. The Norse are picked second in the GLVC East Division preseason poll behind Bellarmine.

Grand Valley State is ranked 13th nationally in the NCAA Division II poll by the NABC. The Lakers are the preseason favorite to win the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division.

Grand Valley State finished with a 21-10 record last season and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

NKU IN SEASON OPENERS: NKU owns a 31-7 all-time record in season openers. The Norse have won 27 consecutive season-opening games. The last time NKU dropped a season opener was on Nov. 27, 1981, when Hanover posted a 68-64 win against the Norse in Regents Hall.

NKU/UD EXHIBITION RECAP: NKU wrapped up its exhibition schedule Monday night by dropping a 71-61 decision to the University of Dayton.

Marcus Johnson scored 13 points to lead four Dayton players in double figures. Chris Wright and Mickey Perry each scored 11 for the Flyers, who shot 44.6 percent from the field.

Chris Johnson added 10 points for Dayton, which led by as many as 13 points in the second half. The Flyers, who are preseason favorites to win the Atlantic 10 Conference, scored the first seven points of the game. NKU, however, answered with a 7-0 run to tie it at 7-all on a 3-pointer by Yan Moukoury.

NKU later took a 25-24 lead with 7:12 remaining in the first half when Chris Knight made a pair of free throws. Dayton countered with a 9-0 run, capped by Perry's 3-pointer that gave the Flyers a 33-25 advantage.

Dayton took a 41-34 lead into the locker room at intermission and slowly pulled away in the second half. Knight drained a 3-pointer with 7:49 left to bring NKU within seven points (61-54), but Dayton responded with a 6-0 spurt that increased its advantage to 67-54.

Scott Bibbins led NKU with 15 points, 11 of those in the first half. David Palmer added 13 points, five rebounds and three assists for the Norse, who hit all 16 of their free-throw attempts and were 7-for-23 from 3-point range.

Knight finished with 10 points and six rebounds for NKU, which lost at Xavier by an 83-66 score on Nov. 7 in its exhibition opener. Dustin Maguire added nine points and three assists, while Corey Sorrell scored six points.

THE LAST TIME AGAINST GVSU: On March 16, 2008, unbeaten and top-seeded Grand Valley State rallied for a 62-58 win against NKU in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Tournament at Allendale, Mich.

Jason Jamerson scored 16 points and came up with a key blocked shot late in the second half to spark Grand Valley State. NKU held a 50-47 lead with 3:49 left after a Billy Finnell basket, but Jamerson countered with two free throws to make it 50-49.

Jamerson then made a 3-pointer with 2:54 remaining to give Grand Valley State a 52-50 lead, and he later blocked a 3-point attempt by NKU's Dennis Gagai with the Lakers holding a 54-53 advantage. The Lakers made seven free throws in the final 1:04 and held off the fourth-seeded Norse.

NKU had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but Anthony Teague missed a 3-pointer with 13 seconds left. Justin Ringler hit a free throw for the final margin.

DeAaron Williams poured in 20 of his 26 points in the second half as NKU took a 45-42 lead with 7:40 remaining in the game. Williams knocked down six 3-pointers in the second half to spark the Norse.

Grand Valley State owns a 3-2 lead in the all-time series with NKU.