Sat., Jan. 18 - Highland Heights, Ky. - 7 p.m.
The Bank of Kentucky Center (9,400)
Kennesaw State (4-15, 1-5 A-Sun) at Northern Kentucky (7-12, 3-4 A-Sun)
NKU Radio: WQRT 1160 AM
•Jim Kelch (play-by-play) & Steve Moeller (color)
Series Record: NKU leads, 3-0
Last Meeting: NKU 64, KSU 54 (2-21-13)
NKU PLAYS HOST TO KENNESAW STATE
Norse (7-12, 3-4 A-Sun) 3-0 all-time against Owls
NORSE NOTES (FIVE STARTERS & ONE)
1• NKU is 7-12 overall after dropping a 74-58 decision to Mercer on Thursday night. The Norse are 3-4 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
2• Mercer closed the first half with a 21-4 run to take a 38-23 lead into the break. Langston Hall netted 11 of his game-high 20 points in the first half for the Bears.Â
3• Mercer held
Jordan Jackson to six points, all in the first half. Jackson entered Thursday averaging 15 points per contest.
4•
Tyler White led NKU with 13 points against Mercer.
5• NKU is 63-14 all-time in The Bank of Kentucky Center, including 5-3 this season.
+1• NKU is 3-0 all-time against Kennesaw State.
KSU VISITS NKU: Northern Kentucky plays host to Kennesaw State at 7 p.m. Saturday in The Bank of Kentucky Center.
NKU is 7-12 overall, 3-4 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Kennesaw State is 4-15 overall, 1-5 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
NKU is 3-0 all-time against Kennesaw State. The Norse swept the Owls last season and also defeated them during the 2003-04 campaign when both programs were competing in Division II.
NKU/MERCER RECAP: Langston Hall scored 20 points and dished out five assists Thursday night as Mercer posted a 74-58 win over NKU. Bud Thomas added 16 points and three assists for the Bears, who snapped the Norse's home winning streak at five. Mercer closed the first half with a 21-4 run to take a 38-23 lead into the break and cruised to the win.
Hall scored 11 points before halftime to lead Mercer, which shot 58.3 percent from the field during the opening 20 minutes. The Bears led by as many as 20 points in the second half and finished at 54 percent from the field in front of a crowd of 2,782.
Tyler White netted 13 points to lead NKU. White was 6-for-13 from the field and added two steals.
Todd Johnson finished with eight points and five rebounds, while
Jordan Jackson,
Cole Murray and
Jake Giesler each scored six.
The Norse shot 42 percent from the field and were 9-for-25 from 3-point range.
KEY NUMBERS: NKU is 2-10 this season when allowing 71 points or more. The Norse are 5-2 when allowing less than 70 points.
HOME STREAK ENDS: Mercer ended NKU's home winning streak at five on Thursday night.
ON SATURDAY: NKU is 3-4 playing on Saturday's this season.
GOING FOR 180: NKU head coach
Dave Bezold has 179 career victories going into Saturday. Bezold, in his 10th season on the Norse sideline, is 179-107.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST KSU: On Feb. 21, 2013,
Chad Jackson scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead NKU to a 64-54 win at Kennesaw State, giving Norse head coach
Dave Bezold his 170th career victory.
Ethan Faulkner finished with 14 points – all in the second half - and converted 10 free throws late in the game. The Norse also made sure Bezold reached the 170-win milestone quicker than any previous NKU mentor. Retired Norse head coach Ken Shields recorded his 170th win during his 10th season. Bezold was in his ninth year last season.
NKU picked apart the Kennesaw State defense in the first half for layup after layup, most of those in half-court sets, to build a 26-19 lead at the break.
John Staley converted a pair of baskets to begin the game for the Norse, and the freshman forward had scored a career-high six points by halftime.
Jackson sparked a 17-4 run that turned a 28-24 NKU lead into a 17-point (45-28) bulge. Jackson started the spurt with a layup, and he followed that with a conventional three-point play to make it 33-24.
SATURDAY'S PROMOTIONS:
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Saturday vs. KSU is Scout Night. All Scouts in uniform will receive FREE admission and their families will receive a $5 ticket.
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Shoot Around Saturday-All kids 12 & under can shoot hoops on court post game with the team and receive autographs.
