No. 16 NKU is 18-4 overall, 10-4 in the GLVC.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky University aims for its fourth consecutive victory at 3 p.m. Saturday when Saint Joseph's visits The Bank of Kentucky Center.
NKU is ranked No. 16 in the NCAA Division II national poll, and the Norse are 18-4 overall, 10-4 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Saint Joseph's is 7-15 overall, 2-12 in the GLVC.
THE SERIES: NKU owns a 39-20 lead in the all-time series with Saint Joseph's. Earlier this season on Dec. 1, the Norse cruised to an 82-70 win in Rensselaer, Ind.
HUGE WIN: Outstanding bench play and even better defense ignited NKU's 77-61 victory over No. 22 Indianapolis on Thursday night. NKU received 40 points from its reserves and held Indianapolis to 35.6 percent shooting from the field to wrap up the season sweep over the Greyhounds.
Tony Rack came off the bench to score 14 points for NKU. Stretch Watson added nine rebounds and seven points off the bench, while
Ryan Fleming netted a career-high eight points in a reserve role. NKU limited Indianapolis to just 26.5 percent shooting in the second half.
NKU used a 15-2 run in the second half to turn a 50-46 lead into a 65-48 advantage with 6:32 remaining. Rack scored seven points to ignite the spurt.
ETHAN POINTS THE WAY: Ethan Faulkner scored 15 points and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds to lead the Norse against Indianapolis. The junior guard also added four assists and three steals as NKU posted its first win this season over a nationally ranked opponent.
NKU is now 54-129 all-time against nationally ranked opponents, including 1-3 this season.
SWAT IT AWAY: NKU senior center
DeAndre Nealy tied a school record Thursday night by blocking eight shots and increased his season's total to 65 rejections. The all-time NKU single-season record for blocked shots is 73, set by Patrick Holt during the 1985-86 campaign.
Nealy - who earlier this season also blocked eight shots in a win at Urbana - added nine points and four rebounds against Indianapolis. His eight blocks also tied The Bank of Kentucky Center single-game record, which was set by Leslie Malone against Missouri S&T on Jan. 22, 2009.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST SJC: Earlier this season on Dec. 1,
Eshaunte Jones knocked down five 3-pointers and finished with 20 points to lead NKU to an 82-70 win at Saint Joseph's.
Jones also pulled down nine rebounds and added two assists.
Chad Jackson finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists for the Norse, who shot 51.1 percent from the field.
Ethan Faulkner made all 10 of his free throws and finished with 15 points for NKU. The Norse led by as many as 20 points (63-43) before the Pumas mounted a comeback that was sparked by guard Dayvon Sloan, who poured in a game-high 34 points.
Sloan scored 25 points in the second half and drained five 3-pointers as Saint Joseph's eventually cut the NKU lead to 72-68 with 54 seconds left. The Norse sealed the win by making 10 free throws in the last minute, with Faulkner converting six of the charity tosses.
