Northern Kentucky University Athletics

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The perfect going-away gift for Northern Kentucky University would have been the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship trophy, but Southern Indiana was having none of that Sunday.

Southern Indiana awoke from a first-half slumber, connected on 59.3 percent of its shots during the final 20 minutes and went on to defeat the Norse, 60-56, in the GLVC Tournament championship game. Isaac McClure scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the 13th-ranked Screaming Eagles, who improved to 24-6.

McClure, a 6-foot-6 senior forward, also collected three steals to earn the tournament's most valuable player award. The Screaming Eagles shot an ice-cold 20.8 percent from the field in the first half and trailed 27-17 at the break. Lawrence Thomas scored all 16 of his points in the second half to key the Southern Indiana comeback.

Brandon Hogg added 14 points for the Screaming Eagles, who are 49-19 all-time against NKU. Sunday marked the third time NKU and Southern Indiana have met in the GLVC Tournament championship game. The Screaming Eagles also won the previous two title meetings in 2005 and 2007.

Jon Van Hoose scored 18 points to lead NKU, which dropped to 23-6. The Norse committed 17 turnovers, 12 of those in the second half when Southern Indiana made its comeback.

“We made too many turnovers in the second half, and they made us pay for it,” NKU head coach Dave Bezold said. “You aren't going to beat a team as good as Southern Indiana with that many turnovers, and they led to several easy baskets in transition that really turned the game around.”

The Screaming Eagles led by as many as 11 points late in the second half before NKU staged its own comeback, which sliced the deficit to 59-56 with 4.1 seconds remaining on Ethan Faulkner's 3-pointer.

Hogg, however, made one of two free throws to seal the championship for Southern Indiana.

NKU, which entered the GLVC Tournament ranked No. 10 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll, was hoping to capture the GLVC title in its final season in the league. The Norse finished 19-13 all-time in the GLVC Tournament and won championships in 2003 and 2009.

Ryan Fleming scored a career-high 10 points for NKU, which shot 46.8 percent from the field. NKU's DeAndre Nealy and Eshaunte Jones were both named to the GLVC's all-tournament team.

NKU will receive an at-large berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament, which begins next Saturday. Pairings and times will be announced at 10:30 p.m. Sunday night at ncaa.com.