Fri., Nov. 29 - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - 7:30 p.m.
Cure UCD Classic
Northern Kentucky (1-4) vs. Southeast Missouri State (3-2)
NKU Radio: WQRT 1160 AM
•Richard Skinner (play-by-play) & Steve Moeller (color)
Series Record: First meeting
NKU MEETS SEMO ON FRIDAY NIGHT IN MEXICO
Norse (1-4) play Redhawks (3-2) in Puerto Vallarta
NORSE NOTES (FIVE STARTERS & ONE)
1• NKU is 1-4 after posting a 91-86 overtime victory against previously unbeaten Tulane on Saturday night in New Orleans, La.
2•
Jalen Billups scored a career-high 25 points - 13 in overtime - to lead the Norse. Billups finished 10-for-11 from the field with seven rebounds and was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week.
3• The Norse bench outscored Tulane's reserves by a whopping 49-4 margin.
4•
Cole Murray buried five 3-pointers and scored a career-high 17 points for the Norse.
5• NKU is now 47-35 all-time in overtime games.
+1• The Norse had not played an overtime since Jan. 5, 2012, when they defeated William Jewell, 76-72.
NORSE MEET SEMO ON FRIDAY: Northern Kentucky (1-4) meets Southeast Missouri State (3-2) on Friday in the Cure UCD Classic. The game is at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and is part of the five-team tournament that began last week at Tulane in New Orleans, La.
The Norse conclude the tournament Saturday with a game against Texas State.
BILLUPS POWERS NORSE: Jalen Billups scored 13 of his career-high 25 points in overtime Saturday night as NKU rallied for a 91-86 win over Tulane. The 6-foot-6 sophomore controlled the paint in overtime with five baskets, including a thunderous dunk.
Billups, in fact, did not miss a shot in the extra session and finished 10-for-11 from the field with seven rebounds and three blocks. He scored 10 straight points for the Norse in overtime, and his three free throws in the final 20 seconds iced the victory.
Billups' previous career-high point total was 16 against Lane College on Nov. 18, 2011.
ON TARGET: Billups leads the Atlantic Sun Conference in field-goal percentage at 70 percent. He has converted 21 of 30 attempts from the field and averages 10.8 points per game.
PASSING FANCY: NKU dished out a total of 23 assists in the win at Tulane, with
Anthony Monaco and
Tyler White each recording career highs with seven helpers apiece.
Jordan Jackson added four assists for the Norse.
MURRAY FROM LONG RANGE: Norse freshman guard
Cole Murray drained five 3-pointers en route to a career-high 17 points in the win over Tulane. Murray buried four treys in the second half, including a 3-pointer to begin the overtime. Murray averages 5.4 points per game.
FLOURNOY'S TREYS: NKU sophomore forward
Jack Flournoy is No. 1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference in 3-point shooting at .538. Flournoy is shooting 7-for-13 from long range and averages 6.2 points per game off the bench.
JACKSON RETURNS: Norse junior guard
Jordan Jackson returned Saturday night after missing two games with an injury and scored 11 points off the bench against Tulane. Jackson also dished out four assists and added two steals in 22 minutes of action.
Jackson leads the Norse in scoring at 12.7 points per game. He is also shooting 46.2 percent from the field and averages 3.7 rebounds per contest. Jackson also dishes out 3.0 assists per game.
NORSE MILESTONE: NKU's 91 points against Tulane were the most scored by the Norse since beginning play as a Division I program last season. The Norse's previous best scoring total was 76 against Purdue earlier this season. A year ago, NKU's highest scoring output was 72 points against North Florida.
LATE-GAME HEROICS: Sophomore guard
Tyler White scored 13 points in the win against Tulane, including a basket in the final seconds of regulation that forced overtime. With the Norse trailing 72-70 and 9.7 seconds remaining, White drove the length of the court and converted a layup over two defenders with 3.9 seconds left on the clock. He averages 9.5 points per game.
ALL-AROUND PERFORMANCE: Norse sophomore guard
Anthony Monaco grabbed a career-high five rebounds against Tulane. He also dished out a career-best seven assists and scored four points in 20 minutes of action.
