NKU's defense lifted the Norse past Kentucky Wesleyan on Friday.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Northern Kentucky University faces Missouri-St. Louis at 7 p.m. (Eastern time) Saturday in the semifinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.
NKU is 22-5 overall and ranked No. 10 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll. Missouri-St. Louis is 19-8 overall, and the Tritons captured the GLVC West Division championship this season.
Both teams advanced with victories in Friday's quarterfinals. NKU knocked off No. 14 Kentucky Wesleyan, 58-51, while Missouri-St. Louis posted a 71-60 win over Drury. Top-ranked Bellarmine meets No. 13 Southern Indiana in the other semifinal game Saturday. The championship is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
THE SERIES: NKU holds a 17-7 lead in the all-time series with Missouri-St. Louis. The teams did not play this season.
A year ago, NKU defeated Missouri-St. Louis, 70-58, in The Bank of Kentucky Center. Two seasons ago in St. Louis, the Tritons held on for a 57-56 victory over the Norse in the Mark Twain Building.
GLVC TOURNAMENT HISTORY: NKU and Missouri-St. Louis have met just once in the GLVC Tournament, that being on March 1, 2001. The Norse pulled out an 82-72 win over the Tritons in that first-round game, which was played in Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Ind.
NKU is now 18-12 all-time in the GLVC Tournament. The Norse have won GLVC Tournament championships in 2003 and 2009.
