Northern Kentucky University Athletics

Photo gallery | Box score

CINCINNATI – Northern Kentucky University unleashed a 3-point shooting barrage against Xavier during Tuesday night's exhibition game, but the Musketeers' inside game was the difference in a 73-62 win against the Norse.

Kenny Frease scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Xavier, which finished with a 38-17 scoring advantage in the paint. Frease, a 7-foot junior center, was 7-for-11 from the field and also blocked five shots.

Xavier also received plenty of help inside from 6-8 forward Jamel McLean, who finished with 12 points in the first half on 4-for-4 shooting from the field. McLean left the game early in the second half with an injury after taking an elbow in the face.

NKU, meanwhile, relied on its long-range shooting to stay in the game. The Norse were 12-for-33 from 3-point range, including an 8-for-17 effort during the first half. In fact, NKU's final six field goals of the first half were all 3-pointers.

Jon Van Hoose hit a trio of 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 12 points. Xavier, however, countered with an effective inside attack and took a 40-32 lead into halftime.

“Xavier has some very big bodies inside with Frease and McLean, and it's hard to defend them when they catch it close to the basket,” NKU head coach Dave Bezold said. “Their guards do a great job of working the ball inside, and their big guys converted.”

Frease's basket at the 18:28 mark in the second half ignited an 11-4 run that extended Xavier's lead to 53-38. Dennis Gagai, however, drained two straight 3-pointers to cut the Xavier advantage to 62-53 with 4:33 left on the clock

Xavier, though, remained in control and held on to improve to 4-0 all-time against NKU in exhibition games.

Gagai finished with 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting from 3-point range. Josh Tabb added 13 points for NKU, which shot 34.4 percent from the field. Chris Knight added eight points and six rebounds, while Bobby Shannon finished with six points and six rebounds.

Mark Lyons added 13 points for Xavier, which made 48.2 percent of its attempt from the field. The Musketeers won the rebounding battle by a 40-34 margin.

“I was pleased with how we competed, and we learned a great deal about ourselves in these two exhibition games,” Bezold said, noting NKU's exhibition opener against Louisville on Sunday. “We have some things we need to work on, but I really like this group of players.”

NKU begins the regular season Nov. 13 with a home game against Mount St. Joseph at 1:30 p.m.