The NKU men's basketball team opens regular-season play Saturday afternoon.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men's basketball team begins the season Saturday afternoon by playing host to the College of Mount St. Joseph. Tip off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. inside The Bank of Kentucky Center.
NKU posted a 17-13 record last season and is picked fourth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division preseason poll. The Norse were 0-2 in their exhibition schedule, dropping games at Louisville (83-66) and at Xavier (73-62).
NKU IN SEASON OPENERS: NKU owns a 31-8 all-time record in season openers. The Norse had won 27 consecutive season-opening games going into last year, but Grand Valley State snapped that streak by posting a 57-54 victory against NKU at Allendale, Mich.
TREY-RIFFIC SHOOTERS: NKU junior guard
Jon Van Hoose made eight shots from 3-point range in the two exhibition games, knocking down four in each contest. He averaged 12 points per game during the exhibitions.
Norse senior guard
Dennis Gagai buried five 3-pointers against Xavier and finished with 15 points in that game. A year ago, Gagai made a team-leading 56 shots from 3-point range and averaged 10.1 points per contest.
NEWCOMERS IMPRESS: NKU senior guard
Josh Tabb, a transfer from Tennessee in his first season with the Norse, averaged 10.1 points in the two exhibition games.
Senior guard
Malcolm Eleby, a transfer from St. Bonaventure, averaged 12 points per game in the two exhibitions, including a 21-point performance in his NKU debut at Louisville.
Junior forward
Bobby Shannon averaged 6.0 points in the two exhibitions and pulled down six rebounds against Xavier. Shannon also dished out three assists against the Musketeers.
ABOUT MOUNT ST. JOSEPH: The Lions compete in the NCAA Division III Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and are picked ninth in that league's preseason poll. Mount St. Joseph posted a 10-14 record last season.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST MSJ: On Dec. 30, 2003, Ken Shields recorded his 300th career victory as NKU's head coach with an 82-67 win over Mount St. Joseph in Regents Hall.
NKU ran out to a 38-25 halftime lead behind the play of Sean Rowland, who scored 11 points and dished out five assists in the opening 20 minutes. Rowland finished with 12 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
The Norse led by as many as 20 points in the second half and coasted past the Lions. Mike Kelsey scored 14 of his team-high 17 points in the second half to lead the NKU surge. Jesse Rupe came off the bench and chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds for NKU, which shot 47.4 percent from the field.
That is the only prior meeting between NKU and Mount St. Joseph in men's basketball.
