NKU plays host to No. 2 Southern Indiana (23-1 overall) Thursday at 7:45 p.m.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky University plays host to nationally ranked Southern Indiana at 7:45 p.m. Thursday in a key Great Lakes Valley Conference battle.
NKU is 13-12 overall, 6-10 in the GLVC. Southern Indiana, which is ranked No. 2 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll, is 23-1 overall. The Screaming Eagles, who watched their bid for a perfect season end during an 86-68 loss to Kentucky Wesleyan this past Monday, are 14-1 in the GLVC.
Southern Indiana, however, is not eligible for postseason play due to NCAA violations that were discovered within its program last spring.
NKU concludes the regular season Saturday night with a home game against Indianapolis at 7:45 p.m. The Norse then begin GLVC Tournament play Feb. 27 at a site to be determined, most likely at either Quincy or Saint Joseph's.
THURSDAY NIGHT UPSETS: The last two times NKU has played at home on Thursday night, the Norse have upset nationally ranked teams. On Jan. 21, NKU upset then-No. 13 Kentucky Wesleyan, 67-62, in The Bank of Kentucky Center. Two weeks later on Feb. 4, NKU knocked off then-No. 14 Drury, 65-61 at home.
NKU is 2-2 against nationally ranked teams this season. The Norse lost against then-No. 13 Grand Valley State in the season opener, 57-54, and later dropped a 73-66 decision to then-No. 22 Quincy on Jan. 4.
KWC STREAK ENDS: Desmond Stephens and Willie Richardson combined for 40 points last Saturday as Kentucky Wesleyan posted an 80-60 win against NKU, ending a 12-game losing streak against the Norse.
Stephens scored 21 points for Kentucky Wesleyan, and Richardson added 19 points as the Panthers defeated NKU for the first time in six years. Kentucky Wesleyan had not defeated NKU since Feb. 28, 2004. Norse head coach
Dave Bezold was unbeaten (12-0) against Kentucky Wesleyan going into last Saturday's game.
David Palmer scored 15 points to lead the Norse against Kentucky Wesleyan, while
Ethan Faulkner netted 11 points.
Chris Knight added 10 points for NKU, which made 42 percent of its shots from the field.
Tony Rack came off the bench and made a trio of 3-pointers and finished with nine points for the Norse.
PALMER POWER: NKU senior center
David Palmer leads NKU in both scoring (17.3 points per game) and rebounding (8.2 rpg). Palmer also tops the team with 47 blocked shots and has made 53.4 percent of his shots from the field.
RACK NO. 1: NKU sophomore guard
Tony Rack leads the GLVC in 3-point shooting at .537. Rack is 29-for-54 from 3-point range this season.
AT HOME IN THE BOKC: NKU is 9-3 at home this season, but just 3-9 on the road. The Norse are 1-0 on neutral floors.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST SOUTHERN INDIANA: Earlier this season on Dec. 5, Jamar Smith poured in 29 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead Southern Indiana to a 69-50 win over NKU at Evansville, Ind.
Smith scored 17 points in the first half as Southern Indiana rallied from an early 13-5 deficit to take a 33-25 lead at the break. The Screaming Eagles held NKU to 27.6 percent shooting from the field in the second half and led by as many as 24 points.
Southern Indiana shot 53.7 percent from the field and held NKU to just 32.1 percent from the field for the game. The Screaming Eagles also finished with a 36-30 rebounding advantage.
NKU jumped out to a 6-0 lead and eventually stretched that advantage to 13-5 on a 3-pointer by
Dustin Maguire. Smith, however, rallied Southern Indiana and tied the game at 16-all with a conventional three-point play at the 12:09 mark of the first half.
After
Dennis Gagai buried a 3-pointer to give NKU a 19-16 lead, Southern Indiana used a 13-0 run to take a 29-19 edge with 5:19 remaining before halftime. Nick Duncheon knocked down a 3-pointer and a jumper to cap the spurt.
NKU pulled within five points (42-37) on a pair of
David Palmer free throws with 13:22 left in the game, but Southern Indiana used a 25-6 run during the next 11 minutes to build a 67-43 cushion with 2:39 remaining.
Palmer scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead NKU. Maguire added eight points for the Norse, who have not beaten Southern Indiana in the PAC Arena since the 1996 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region championship game.
