(Photo by Linwood Ferguson
)
Thurs., Jan. 24 - Highland Heights, Ky.
The Bank of Kentucky Center (9,400)
Mercer (12-8, 5-2 A-Sun) at NKU (4-11, 2-5), 7 p.m.
NKU Radio: WCVX 1050 AM
•Richard Skinner (play-by-play) & Steve Moeller (color)
Webcast: CollegeInsider.com Thursday Night Atlantic Sun Showcase
Series Record: First meeting
NORSE NOTES (FIVE STARTERS & ONE)
1• NKU is 4-11 overall after losing at Florida Gulf Coast, 73-54, last Saturday. The Norse are 2-5 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
2• Sherwood Brown poured in 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead FGCU. Brown scored 16 points in the first half as the Eagles built a 43-23 lead.
3• Florida Gulf Coast used a 28-9 run to turn a 15-14 lead into a 20-point cushion at halftime.
4•
Eshaunte Jones led NKU with 22 points. He buried five 3-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds.
5• This is the first meeting between NKU and Mercer.
+1• The Norse own a 54-9 all-time record in The Bank of Kentucky Center, including a 1-2 mark this season.
THE BEAR FACTS: NKU senior guard Eshaunte “Bear” Jones has emerged into one of the top sixth men in the Atlantic Sun Conference by averaging 13.8 points per game (No. 9 in the A-Sun). Jones is also 42-for-117 from 3-point range and averages 4.1 rebounds per game. His 2.8 treys per game are No. 2 in the A-Sun.
Jones has averaged 16.0 points per contest since going to the non-starting role six games ago. He poured in 22 points at Florida Gulf Coast last Saturday.
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE: NKU senior forward Ernest “Stretch” Watson recorded his second career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds at Florida Gulf Coast.
Watson's other double-double came last season, a 13-point, 10-rebound performance at Bellarmine on Jan. 16, 2012. Watson averages 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
TORRID EAGLES: Florida Gulf Coast finished 12-for-27 from 3-point range against NKU, with Sherwood Brown knocking down five treys. Brown's 29 points were the most by a Northern Kentucky opponent this season, surpassing the 23 that Tulsa's Rashad Smith netted against the Norse in November.
KEEP THEM GUESSING: NKU has started seven different lineups this season. A total of 10 players have started at least once this season.
A-SUN LOWDOWN: NKU is No. 2 in the A-Sun in scoring defense at 61.3 points per game, and the Norse are No. 10 in scoring offense at 56.1 ppg. NKU is No. 3 in field-goal percentage defense at .436, and the Norse are No. 10 in field-goal percentage shooting at .389. NKU leads the A-Sun in 3-point shooting defense, holding opponents to 30.8 percent from behind the arc.
GET THE POINT: NKU is now 2-9 this season when scoring less than 60 points. The Norse are 2-2 when scoring between 60 and 70 points. NKU's highest point total of the season is 69, which the Norse scored during a 75-69 setback at Texas Tech on Dec. 4.
BEZOLD IN JANUARY: NKU head coach
Dave Bezold owns a 50-28 record in the month of January during his career. Bezold owns a 165-90 record in nine seasons at NKU.
STEAL THE SHOW: NKU freshman guard
Todd Johnson collected three steals against Florida Gulf Coast. Johnson also dished out three assists and scored five points in 33 minutes of action in that game.
JACKSON AT NO. 2: NKU junior guard
Chad Jackson is No. 2 in steals in the latest A-Sun statistics at 1.8 spg. Jackson has 27 steals in 15 games. He is also No. 11 in the A-Sun in field-goal percentage at .495.
THEN THERE WAS ONE: Mercer is the only charter member remaining with the A-Sun. The Bears joined the league in 1978 when it was called the Trans America Athletic Conference. The original members of the conference in 1978 were Mercer, Oklahoma City, Pan American, Northeast Louisiana, Houston Baptist, Hardin-Simmons, Centenary and Samford. Arkansas-Little Rock and Northwestern (La.) State joined the following year.
HOW ABOUT THOSE BEARS?: Mercer won the CollegeInsider.com tournament a year ago, becoming the first A-Sun men's basketball team to win a postseason championship. The Bears defeated Tennessee State, Georgia State, Old Dominion, Fairfield and Utah State to claim the title and finish with a 27-11 record.
LINE THEM UP: NKU made just four trips to the free-throw line against Stetson last Thursday night - the fewest attempts in school history. Prior to last Thursday, the Norse single-game record for fewest attempts at the line was five, which was set six times (most recently last March against Southern Indiana). NKU did make all four of its attempts against Stetson.
Ironically, almost a year to the date earlier (Jan. 14, 2012), Drury shot 51 free throws against visiting NKU - the most attempts at the line ever taken against the Norse.
THURSDAY PROMOTIONS: Thursday's game will include $1 concessions on selected items, and the first 500 NKU students receive a free foam sword. In addition, the 2013 Homecoming prince and princess will be announced at halftime.
HOMECOMING ON SATURDAY: NKU plays host to Kennesaw State on Saturday as part of the 2013 Homecoming festivities. The women's game starts at 4:30 p.m., followed by the men at 7 p.m. The pregame Alumni Chili Cook-Off will be held in the Concourse of The Bank of Kentucky Center on Saturday, and the Norse Force pregame tailgating will take place in Lot D.
