HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – For the fourth consecutive game, Northern Kentucky University will meet an unbeaten opponent when No. 22 Southern Indiana (4-0) visits The Bank of Kentucky Center at 7:45 p.m. Thursday.
NKU is ranked 20th nationally in the latest NCAA Division II poll. The Norse also enter Thursday's Great Lakes Valley Conference opener unbeaten (4-0) after knocking off then-No. 4 Grand Valley State 81-65 last Saturday. NKU led by as many as 22 points in the second half and coasted to the win. NKU had lost four straight games to Grand Valley State going into Saturday's showdown.
NKU defeated a pair of then-unbeaten teams – Christian Brothers (3-0) and Charleston (2-0) – the previous weekend in the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic.
TABB-ULOUS PERFORMANCE: Josh Tabb keyed NKU's victory against Grand Valley State with a career-high 24 points. The senior guard scored 14 points in the first half as NKU built a 38-25 lead at the break. Tabb poured in 11 of NKU's first 13 points as the Norse jumped out to a 13-8 lead.
Tabb, a transfer from Tennessee, averages 15.3 points per game and is shooting 57.1 percent from the field. He also has nine assists and six steals this season.
ON TARGET: NKU sophomore guard
Ethan Faulkner is shooting 77.8 percent from the field (7-for-9). He is perfect from both 3-point range (3-for-3) and the free-throw line (10-for-10) this season and averages 6.8 points per game.
TOUGH DEFENSE: NKU is No. 1 in the GLVC in field-goal percentage defense, holding the opposition to 35.3 percent shooting from the field. The Norse are also No. 1 in scoring defense at 55.5 points per game.
BACKCOURT ACE: NKU senior guard
Malcolm Eleby is 10th in the GLVC in scoring at 15.8 points per game. Eleby also leads NKU in rebounding (6.0 rpg) and assists (3.0 apg). He is also 32-for-37 (.865) from the free-throw line.
FROM LONG RANGE: NKU senior guard
Dennis Gagai is No. 6 in the GLVC in 3-pointers made with eight. Gagai, who scored 11 points against Grand Valley State, averages 7.3 points per game.
ALL-TIME VS. RANKED TEAMS: NKU is 52-120 all-time against nationally ranked teams. The Norse are 1-0 this season, with that victory over No. 4 Grand Valley State.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST USI: On Feb. 18, 2010,
David Palmer scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead NKU to a 68-56 upset over No. 2 Southern Indiana in The Bank of Kentucky Center.
Corey Sorrell added 14 points for NKU.
NKU built a 32-20 halftime lead by limiting Southern Indiana to just 25 shooting from the field. Sorrell scored 10 points in the first half to spark NKU, while teammate
Tony Rack knocked down a pair of 3-pointers.
Dennis Gagai scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half as the Norse held off a Southern Indiana rally and avenged an earlier loss to the Screaming Eagles.
Southern Indiana owns a 45-18 lead in the all-time series against NKU. The series is tied at 13-all in games played at Highland Heights, Ky.
TICKETS FOR $1: NKU will hold a Break the Bank promotion Saturday night when Indianapolis visits The Bank of Kentucky Center for a doubleheader. The women's game starts at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men at 7:45 p.m.
Tickets for that doubleheader can be purchased for $1 at the box office in advance or the night of the game. The first 2,500 fans will receive free basketballs courtesy of McCluskey Chevrolet. There will also be a performance by the Zooperstars group at halftime of the men's game. Call (859) 572-7665 for information.
The largest crowd to ever see a regular-season game in The Bank of Kentucky Center is 5,319, set last season when NKU hosted Bellarmine.
NABC/Division II Coaches Poll (Nov. 30, 2010 – Poll #2)
Record Points Pvs
1. Cal Poly Pomona (8 first place votes) 1-0 200 1
2. (tie) Findlay, Ohio 5-0 185 2
2. (tie) Bellarmine, Ky. 3-0 185 3
4. Winona State, Minn. 3-0 174 5
5. South Carolina Aiken 4-0 163 7
6. Alabama-Huntsville 6-0 162 8
7. West Liberty, W.Va. 5-0 151 9
8. Central Oklahoma 7-0 146 10
9. Indiana, Pa. 3-1 126 12
10. Montevallo, Ala. 4-0 108 13
11. Kentucky Wesleyan 5-0 105 16
12. Central Missouri 5-1 100 14
13. Rollins, Fla. 5-1 90 15
14. Fort Hays State, Kan. 6-0 87 18
15. Cal State-Dominguez Hills 5-0 76 19
16. Grand Valley State, Mich. 3-1 75 4
17. Tarleton State, Texas 4-1 74 6
18. Augusta State, Ga. 4-0 72 20
19. Bowie State, Md. 4-0 64 23
20. Northern Kentucky 4-0 48 25
21. Arkansas Tech 4-1 29 22
22. Southern Indiana 4-0 19 NR
23. Chaminade 5-2 17 NR
24. Central Washington 3-0 15 NR
25. Hillsdale, Mich. 6-0 13 NR
