NKU's Chad Jackson (24) scored 14 points against Glenville State.
Mon., Nov. 21
Urbana, Ohio - Warren G. Grimes Center (2,500)
NKU (3-0) at Urbana (2-1), 7 p.m.
NKU Radio/Internet: WQRT (1160 AM) & www.nkunorse.com
Series Record: NKU leads, 5-0
Last Meeting: NKU 79, UU 41 (12-9-08)
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Northern Kentucky University hits the road for the first time this season Monday night as the unbeaten Norse (3-0) play at Urbana at 7 p.m.
NKU posted an 83-60 win over Glenville State in the 30th annual John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic on Saturday night to improve to 3-0. All three of the Norse's victories have come in The Bank of Kentucky Center.
Urbana is 2-1 after rolling to a 113-53 victory against OSU-Mansfield last week. The high-scoring Blue Knights also posted a 114-111 win over Edinboro (Pa.) in two overtimes last week.
NKU is 5-0 all-time against Urbana.
INSIDE DOMINATOR: Everyone knew
DeAndre Nealy (pictured above) could block shots and rebound when he transferred to NKU this summer, but the 6-foot-6 senior center is also showing he is an effective inside scorer.
Nealy scored 19 points and blocked three shots to earn most outstanding player honors during NKU's 83-60 win over Glenville State in the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic. The Kent State transfer was 8-for-10 from the field and also grabbed six rebounds.
Nealy averaged 17.5 points per game in the two-day event as NKU posted a pair of victories. He is shooting 69 percent from the field this season and 84.6 from the free-throw line. Nealy also leads NKU in rebounding at 6.7 per game.
FROM THE OUTSIDE: Senior guard
Tony Rack scored 16 points and added six rebounds for the Norse in the win over Glenville State. The Moeller High School product also earned the John L. Griffin Hustle Award for his efforts in the two-day event.
Rack averages 9.3 points per game and is 8-for-17 from 3-point range.
NKU senior guard
Jon Van Hoose (left) is shooting a blistering 14-for-25 (.560) from 3-point range this season and averages 16.0 points per game.
ALL-AROUND PERFORMANCE: NKU sophomore guard
Chad Jackson scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists against Glenville State. Jackson leads the Norse with 16 assists and averages 7.0 points per contest. He also averages 6.3 rebounds per game.
ON TARGET: NKU freshman guard
Paul Byrd is shooting 75 percent from the field and is 3-for-4 from 3-point range. Byrd's 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer against Glenville State capped a 26-10 first-half run and gave NKU a 36-25 lead at the break.
LOWDOWN ON NKU: The Norse average 96.3 points per game and allow 58.3 points. NKU is shooting 55.1 percent from the field and holding opponents to just 32.6 percent from the floor.
NKU owns a +15.0 rebounding margin (45.3 to 30.3) and have 65 assists compared to just 38 turnovers.
BEZOLD'S HOUSE: NKU is now 15-1 in the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic under head coach
Dave Bezold. The Norse have won eight straight games in the event.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST URBANA: On Dec. 9, 2008, NKU cruised to a 79-41 win against Urbana in The Bank of Kentucky Center. NKU closed the first half with a 20-4 run, and followed that up by beginning the second 20 minutes with a 16-2 spurt. The Norse limited the Blue Knights to just 28.9 percent shooting from the field and cruised to the victory.
Five players scored in double figures for NKU. A'Daeron Duncan and
Dennis Gagai each scored 14 points to lead the Norse, who held Urbana to just six field goals in the first half and built a 39-17 lead at the break.
GLVC UP NEXT: NKU begins Great Lakes Valley Conference play Dec. 1 with a road game at Saint Joseph's in Rensselaer, Ind. The Norse conclude the trip Dec. 3 with a game at Indianapolis.
