Tony Rack (10) is a major reason NKU is 9-0 and ranked No. 13.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky University looks to extend its season-opening win streak to 10 when Shepherd (W.Va.) visits The Bank of Kentucky Center for a non-conference game Friday at 1 p.m.
NKU is 9-0 and ranked No. 13 in the NCAA Division II national poll. Shepherd owns a 5-3 overall record, and the Rams are 3-2 in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
This marks the first meeting between NKU and Shepherd in men's basketball.
AT HOME IN THE BOKC: NKU is now 25-0 all-time against non-conference opponents in The Bank of Kentucky Center after posting a 98-53 win over Salem International on Dec. 18. The Norse are 45-5 all-time in The Bank of Kentucky Center, with all five losses coming against Great Lakes Valley Conference foes.
Bellarmine (twice), Southern Indiana, Quincy and Wisconsin-Parkside have defeated NKU in the 9,400-seat arena, which opened in 2008.
PERFECT START: The 9-0 start is NKU's best since the 2002-03 season, when the Norse began 10-0. The best start in NKU history is 13-0, set during the 2000-01 campaign. The longest winning streak in Norse history is 16, set during the 1994-95 campaign.
TREY-RIFFIC: Jon Van Hoose knocked down six 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 22 points during NKU's 98-53 win over Salem International. NKU shot 59.1 percent from the field and held Salem International to 33.9 percent accuracy. Van Hoose buried five treys in the first half and netted 17 points as the Norse rolled to a 47-17 advantage at the break.
Van Hoose averages a team-leading 13.3 points per game. He has also buried a team-leading 33 shots from 3-point range and has made 49.3 percent of his attempts from long range. Van Hoose's 3.67 made 3-pointers per game leads the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
MOTOR CITY REJECTOR: NKU's
DeAndre Nealy blocked six shots against Salem International, bringing his season's total to 26. Nealy, a native of Detroit, averages 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, and he is shooting 68.9 percent from the field to rank No. 2 in the GLVC in that category.
ALL-AROUND PERFORMER: Chad Jackson finished with nine points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals in the win over Salem International. Jackson leads NKU in assists (47), steals (21) and rebounding (6.3 rpg). He also averages 10.8 points per game and is shooting 59 percent from the field.
CAREER GAMES: NKU freshmen
Alex McGlothin (11 points) and
Brady Jolly (nine points) posted career-high scoring totals against Salem International.
NEARING 150: NKU head coach
Dave Bezold enters the Shepherd game with 147 career victories on the Norse sideline.
THE LOWDOWN ON NKU: NKU ranks No. 2 in the GLVC with an average of 91.7 points per game. The Norse are No. 1 in scoring margin at + 30.8 per contest. NKU is also No. 1 in blocked shots at 5.44 rejections per game, and the Norse top the GLVC in assists per contest at 19.89.
In addition, NKU averages a GLVC-leading 10.33 made 3-pointers per game.
WILLIAM JEWELL NEXT: NKU resumes GLVC action Jan. 5 when William Jewell visits The Bank of Kentucky Center for a 7:30 p.m. contest. NKU is 2-0 in the GLVC.
