NKU's Bobby Shannon goes baseline against Quincy on Saturday night.
Photo gallery |
Box score
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Motivation was not a problem for Northern Kentucky University when the Norse squared off against Quincy in the first round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament on Saturday night.
NKU entered the GLVC Tournament having lost three straight to close the regular season. In addition, the Norse had dropped a 58-56 decision at Quincy on Jan. 2.
Those facts, no doubt, helped fuel NKU's 75-70 victory against Quincy in The Bank of Kentucky Center. The fifth-seeded Norse shot 52.1 percent from the field and improved to 20-7.
It marked the 13th time in history that the NKU men's basketball program has reached the 20-win plateau. The Norse will meet Kentucky Wesleyan in the quarterfinals of the GLVC Tournament at 3:30 p.m. Friday in St. Louis, Mo.
Dennis Gagai made a trio of 3-pointers and finished with 16 points to lead NKU.
Bobby Shannon added 14 points – including two ferocious first-half dunks - and three steals for NKU, while teammates
Erik Stenger and
Malcolm Eleby each scored 11. Gagai and Stenger both netted nine points in the first half as NKU built a 37-33 lead at the break.
NKU extended its advantage to 11 points (44-33) early in the second half and withstood a late rally to advance in the GLVC Tournament.
Josh Tabb scored seven consecutive points in the second half to help NKU hold off Quincy, which twice cut the Norse lead to four points.
Tabb's conventional three-point play with 4:52 left extended the Norse advantage to 67-60. Tabb finished with nine points, all in the second half.
Courtney Belger scored 21 points to lead eighth-seeded Quincy, which finished the season with a 16-11 record. The Hawks shot 54 percent from the field and won the rebounding battle by a 28-23 margin.
NKU finished 20-for-27 at the free-throw line. The Norse are now 19-8 all-time against the Hawks.
