No. 25 NKU plays host to No. 4 Grand Valley State in a noon Saturday showdown.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – A battle between two nationally ranked basketball teams will take place Saturday at noon when No. 25 Northern Kentucky University plays host to No. 4 Grand Valley State in The Bank of Kentucky Center.
NKU enters Saturday's game with a 3-0 record, and Grand Valley State is also 3-0. The Norse jumped into the NCAA Division II national poll this week after posting wins against Christian Brothers and Charleston (W.Va.) last weekend.
Grand Valley State, the favorite to win the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division, is coming off an impressive 92-74 win against defending regional champion Saint Joseph's on Tuesday night.
NKU/GVSU SERIES: Grand Valley State owns a 4-2 lead in the all-time series against NKU. The Lakers have won the last four meetings with the Norse.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST GVSU: On Nov. 15, 2009, Justin Ringler scored six points in the final minute of the game to lead Grand Valley State to a 57-54 win against NKU in the season opener for both teams.
Ringler, who finished with 24 points, gave Grand Valley State a 51-49 lead with 59 seconds remaining by converting a driving layup. He later added four free throws in the final 12 seconds to seal the win.
After Toreau Brown drained two free throws with 20 seconds left to extend Grand Valley State's advantage to 53-49,
Scott Bibbins countered by making a basket while being fouled with 14 seconds left. Bibbins converted the free throw to cut Grand Valley State's lead to 53-52.
Ringler made a pair of free throws with 12 seconds remaining to extend the Laker lead to 55-52, but
Dustin Maguire responded by sinking a jumper from the top of the key to bring NKU within a point at 55-54. Ringler was fouled with 2.4 seconds remaining, and he again converted both free throws to make it 57-54.
NKU had a final desperation attempt, but
Yan Moukoury's heave was partially blocked as time expired.
Chris Knight scored 15 points to lead NKU, while teammate
David Palmer added 12 points and nine rebounds. Palmer's basket with 9:35 remaining gave NKU a 43-38 lead, but Grand Valley State used a 9-4 spurt to tie the game at 47-all when Brown made one of two free throws with 3:18 left.
NKU, which had won 27 consecutive season openers, shot 42 percent from the field and won the rebounding battle by a 32-29 margin. The Norse held Grand Valley State without a 3-point field goal (0-for-10), but the Lakers were 17-for-24 at the free-throw line.
NKU'S LAST WIN AGAINST GVSU: NKU's last victory against Grand Valley State came on Nov. 23, 2005, when the Norse posted a 73-63 win against the Lakers in Regents Hall.
ELEBY HONORED: NKU's
Malcolm Eleby was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week in men's basketball on Monday.
Eleby, a 6-foot-3 senior guard from Philadelphia, Pa., set an NKU single-game record by going 17-for-17 from the free-throw line against Charleston (W.Va.) on Saturday night in the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic. He finished with 21 points as NKU posted a 69-66 win against the Golden Eagles.
Eleby was named the most outstanding player for NKU after averaging 20 points per contest in the two-day event. He scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead NKU to a 51-44 win against previously unbeaten Christian Brothers on Friday.
RACK FROM LONG RANGE: NKU's
Tony Rack is shooting 58.3 percent from 3-point range. Rack led the Great Lakes Valley Conference in 3-point shooting last season by connecting on 52.1 percent of his attempts.
GLVC SCHEDULE BEGINS THURSDAY NIGHT: NKU begins GLVC play Thursday night when Southern Indiana visits The Bank of Kentucky Center for a 7:45 p.m. showdown. The Screaming Eagles are currently unbeaten (4-0).
NKU also plays host to Indianapolis at 7:45 p.m. Saturday. Indianapolis knocked off Tennessee in an exhibition game during the preseason.
