Fri., Dec. 27 - Chapel Hill, N.C. - 7 p.m.
Smith Center (21,750)
Northern Kentucky (4-7) at #19 North Carolina (8-3)
NKU Radio: WQRT 1160 AM
•Jim Kelch (play-by-play) & Steve Moeller (color)
Series Record: First meeting
NORSE PLAY 19TH-RANKED TAR HEELS
NKU (4-7) looks to extend winning streak to four
NORSE NOTES (FIVE STARTERS & ONE)
1• NKU extended its winning streak to four with a 72-65 victory over Navy on Dec. 21. The Norse closed the game with a 24-10 run after trailing by seven points in the final eight minutes.
2•
Jalen Billups and
Todd Johnson each scored 16 points to lead NKU, with Billups grabbing a career-high 11 rebounds.
Tyler White and
Jordan Jackson added 11 points apiece for the Norse.
3• NKU is now 61-13 all-time in The Bank of Kentucky Center, including 3-2 this season.
4• NKU has never played North Carolina.
5• The Norse are 0-2 against nationally ranked teams since reclassifying to Division I last season.
+1• NKU is 0-2 playing on Friday this season.
NORSE MEET TAR HEELS: Northern Kentucky visits Chapel Hill, N.C., on Friday night to meet No. 19 North Carolina at 7 p.m. That game will also be televised nationally on ESPNU.
Northern Kentucky is 4-7 overall and has won three straight games going into Friday. North Carolina is 8-3 overall. It is the first meeting between the two programs.
The Norse begin Atlantic Sun Conference play on Dec. 30 with a road game against Florida Gulf Coast at 7:05 p.m. in Fort Myers, Fla. NKU concludes the road trip Jan. 1 with a 7 p.m. contest against Stetson in DeLand, Fla.
ANOTHER BIG RALLY: Northern Kentucky rallied from 11 points down in the first half to defeat Navy, 72-65, on Dec. 21. During their current three-game winning streak, the Norse have trailed by double figures in each contest. Chattanooga owned a 10-point lead in the first half at NKU on Dec. 18, and Hampton built a 12-point advantage in the second half against the Norse on Dec. 18. All three of those wins were at home.
JOHNSON ON TARGET: Norse sophomore guard
Todd Johnson tied his career high with 16 points against Navy. Johnson also buried four shots from 3-point range, including a pair of crucial treys during the Norse's game-ending 24-10 run. Johnson averages 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest, and he has collected two double-doubles this season.
ALL-AROUND PERFORMER: Northern Kentucky junior guard
Jordan Jackson averages a team-leading 14.3 points per game. He is No. 2 in the Atlantic Sun Conference in steals (1.9 spg) and No. 5 in the league in assists (3.2 apg).
FROM LONG RANGE: Norse sophomore forward
Jack Flournoy continues to lead the Atlantic Sun Conference in 3-point shooting at 48.7 percent. Flournoy is shooting 19-for-39 from long range and averages 7.2 points per game.
NKU AGAINST NATIONALLY RANKED TEAMS: Since beginning play as a Division I program last season, the Norse are 0-2 against nationally ranked teams. On Dec. 1, 2012, No. 4 Ohio State posted a 70-43 win against NKU in Columbus, Ohio. Earlier this season on Nov. 10, No. 1 Kentucky defeated NKU, 93-63, in Lexington, Ky.
From 1971-2012 competing at the small-college level (Division II and NAIA), Northern Kentucky posted a 57-132 all-time record against nationally ranked opponents.
ABOUT THE HEAD COACH: Dave Bezold is in his 10th season as the men's basketball head coach at Northern Kentucky University. Bezold owns a 176-102 record as Norse head coach.
A year ago, Bezold guided NKU to an 11-16 record during the program's inaugural season in Division I. The Norse played a non-conference schedule that included Ohio State, Texas Tech, San Francisco, Tulsa and San Diego. NKU posted a 9-9 mark in their first season in the Atlantic Sun Conference and were 5-4 at home against league foes.
