NKU's Josh Tabb (25) drives against Southern Indiana's C.J. Trotter on Saturday.
Box score
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Mohamed Ntumba and Isaac McClure combined for 36 points as Southern Indiana held on for a 63-60 victory over Northern Kentucky University on Saturday in a battle of teams ranked in the NCAA Division II national poll.
Ntumba scored 19 points and blocked five shots for No. 6 Southern Indiana, which improved to 22-4 overall, 14-4 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. McClure added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Screaming Eagles, who survived a late NKU rally to claim the No. 2 seed in the GLVC Tournament.
Southern Indiana held NKU (19-7 overall, 12-6 GLVC) to 29 percent shooting from the field in the first half to build a 12-point lead (35-23). The Norse, however, battled back in the second half and took a 60-59 lead on
Dennis Gagai's 3-pointer with 1:51 remaining in the game.
Ntumba made a pair of free throws with 1:18 left to give Southern Indiana a 61-60 lead. NKU's
Josh Tabb missed a jumper with 42 seconds left that was rebounded by McClure, and Kevin Gant extended the Southern Indiana advantage to 63-60 with a driving layup with 8.1 seconds remaining.
NKU found
Tony Rack outside the top of the circle for a potential tying 3-pointer in the final seconds, but the shot was off target and Southern Indiana wrapped up the season sweep of NKU. Earlier this season, the Screaming Eagles posted a 76-63 win against the Norse in Highland Heights, Ky.
Erik Stenger scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds for NKU, which is ranked 21st nationally in the NCAA Division II poll. Gagai finished with 13 points, and Tabb scored 11.
Chris Knight pulled down 10 rebounds and scored six points for NKU, which has not won a regular-season game in the PAC Arena since Dec. 10, 1994, when the Norse rallied for a 96-90 victory over then-No. 1 Southern Indiana.
NKU's last win over Southern Indiana in the PAC Arena was a 99-87 victory in the 1996 NCAA II Great Lakes Region championship game.
NKU has earned a first-round home game in the GLVC Tournament. The game will be played next Saturday at 7 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.
