Persons at the Point

Guard Tayler Persons has emerged as one of NKU's leaders as a true freshman. Persons has recorded double-digit scoring efforts in four-of-the-last-five games. He tallied a then-career-high 23 points to lead NKU past Idaho, 79-74. Persons' efforts against EWU and Idaho garnered him A-Sun Newcomer of the Week accolades. Versus Chattanooga, Persons put up a new-career-high 30 points on 7-of-15 shooting and perfect 14-of-14 from the line. He also dished out five assists. Against Morehead State, Persons tallied 16 points and game-high eight assists.

Persons has made his presence felt all over the court for the Norse. He leads Northern Kentucky in scoring (12.6 ppg), assists (3.6 apg) and steals (1.5 spg). He is second on the squad in rebounding at 4.1 rpg.

Scouting Idaho

Idaho enters Monday's meeting at 5-5 overall and 1-3 on the road. The Vandals are 4-1 at home, with the lone loss coming to the Norse over Thanksgiving break. Idaho won its last outing, 86-39, over Walla Walla University. Led by Connor Hillsí 19 points, five players reached double figures for UI.

Mike Scott leads a trio of Vandals averaging double-digits in the scoring column. Scott is scoring 14.6 points per game, while Connor Hill and Sekou Wiggs are posting 14.4 and 12.5, respectively. Scott also sets the table for his teammates, handing out 5.7 assists per game.

We Meet Again

Northern Kentucky and Idaho met on the hardwood earlier this season, with the Norse staking claim to a 79-74 victory in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 29. Tayler Persons scored 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor and 9-of-10 at the line. Daniel Camps added 14, Cole Murray connected on three triples en route to 11 points and Jalen Billups chipped in 10 in the win. Connor Hill had 22 points for UI.

Last Time Out: Morehead State

With the Norse leading 7-6 in the early going, NKU broke out on a 19-0 run to go ahead by 20. Northern Kentucky weathered surges by Morehead State in both the first and second-halves en route to an 83-60 win to improve to 5-6 overall. NKUís five non-conference wins this season are a new DI-era mark for the Norse, who won four non-conference matchups last season and two in its inaugural season.

Tyler White led the charge with 19 first-half points and a career-best 24. The junior guard knocked down 8-of-14 field-goal attempts, including a career-high five treys. Tayler Persons added 16 points and eight assists, while commiting only three miscues against the Eagles' full-court pressure. Jalen Billups and Chad Jackson each chipped in 10 points.

Getting Offensive

Over the last three contests, NKU is averaging 90.3 points per game and is only surrendering 68.7. Impressively, two of those contests have come on the road. The Norse are shooting 53.1 percent (93-of-175) from the floor, which includes 50.9 percent (29-of-57) from three-point land, during the three-game stretch.

Also, over that period Tayler Persons is leading a trio of Norse averaging double-figures at 19.0 points per game. Tyler White and Jalen Billups are scoring at clips of 14.0 and 11.7, respectively.

Northern Kentucky's bench has outscored its opponents, 156-68, and the Norse have also owned the paint, staking claim to a 106-64 advantage.

Feeling the Holiday Rush

NKU kicked off a flurry of games before the holiday season with its Dec. 14 home game versus UC-Clermont.  Northern Kentucky is in the midst of playing four games in a nine-day stretch prior to the Chrismas holiday. Only one game remains, Idaho at home on Dec. 22. With wins at Morehead State on Friday and versus UC Clermont last Sunday sandwiched around a defeat at Chattanooga, the Norse are 2-1 in that stretch.

Following a four-day break for Christmas, NKU will play three more games in an eight-day span. The second stretch of games starts at Northwestern on Dec. 27, continues at Youngstown State on New Year's Eve and wraps up on Jan. 3 with Toledo at home.