HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Northern Kentucky closes out 2014 with a 1 p.m. New Year's Eve clash at Youngstown State. The Norse, 6-7 overall, seek to return to .500 on the season and expand on their DI-era program-record six non-conference wins. The Penguins enter at 8-6.

Northern Kentucky University Norse (6-7 Overall, 0-0 Atlantic Sun)
Youngstown State University Penguins (8-6 Overall, 0-0 Horizon)
Wednesday., Dec. 31 - 1:00 p.m. (ET)
Beeghly Center (6,300) in Youngstown, Ohio
TV: ESPN3 with Robb Schmidt
Radio: ESPN 1530 (AM) with Jim Kelch (play-by-play) and Steve Moeller (analysis)

Fast Break Points

• The Norse won 3-of-4 games before traveling to Northwestern, where they fell, 76-55, to their fourth Power 5 opponent of the year.
• NKU is in the midst of seven games in a 21-day stretch. The Norse are 3-2, with both losses coming on the road.
• Over the last five games, NKU has been scoring at a clip of 81.7 points per game
• In the last five games, NKU's bench has outscored its opponents, 235-96.
• NKU is a perfect 6-0 when leading at the half, but is 0-7 when trailing at the break.
• Excluding NKU's game against West Virginia, who leads the nation in opponent turnovers, the Norse commit just 10.9 miscues per game.
• Northern Kentucky has won six non-conference games, the most in the DI era. NKU won two in 2012-13 and four last season.
• NKU has a pair of non-conference games remaining, at Youngstown State and versus Toledo at home.
• G Todd Johnson reached double-digits for the second time this season with 14 points at Northwestern. He also had 12 at Eastern Wash.
• F Jalen Billups registered four blocks at Northwestern to move into 11th all-time at NKU. He is two shy of the top-10.
• F Jalen Billups ranks among NKU's all-time leaders in FG % (2nd, .603), blocks (11th, 72) & blocks per game (12th, 1.0).
• #DiaperDandy G Tayler Persons leads NKU in scoring (12.8 ppg), assists (3.5 apg) and steals (1.3).
• In the last five games, Persons is averaging 17.0 ppg, while White is at 11.2 and Billups at 10.6.
• G Anthony Monaco leads the A-Sun in 3-point percentage (50) and Billups leads the league in field goal percentage (62.7).

Sharp Shooting Norse

Junior forward Jalen Billups and sophomore forward Daniel Camps have been on target this season. Billups leads the Atlantic Sun at 62.7 percent (47-of-75). Camps is nipping on Billups' heals and would rank second in the Atlantic Sun in field-goal percentage at 62.5 (30-of-48). However, Camps does not have enough attempts to count in the rankings. 

From three-point territory, Anthony Monaco is knocking down 50 percent (18-of-36) of his attempts, while Deontae Cole has connected on 40.6 percent (13-of-32). Monacoís average ranks leads the A-Sun.

Billups Is Rewriting Career Marks

Redshirt junior forward Jalen Billups is leaving his mark on NKU's record books. He ranks among NKU's all-time leaders in FG percent (2nd, .603), blocks (11th, 62) and blocks per game (12th, 1.0).

Billups connected on 65.1 percent (54-of-83) of his shots during the 2011-12 campaign, a mark that ranks third in NKU's single-season records list. So far this season, the Cincinnati, Ohio, native is 47-of-75 for 62.7 percent and leads the A-Sun. His 8.5 points per game average is second-most on the team.

33 for 3

Redshirt junior guard Anthony Monaco found his range against No. 21 Nebraska. Monaco connected on 4-of-7 shots from three-point territory, a career-high for 3-pointers made. The four trifectas led to 12 points for Monaco. Monaco played 27 minutes  and scored six points against West Virginia and legendary Mountaineerís head coach Bob Huggins, who happens to be Monacoís uncle. Monaco's mother Karen is Coach Huggins' sister. In NKU's outing versus Idaho at home, he dropped in 4-of-7 three-point attempts en route to a career-high 17 points. Monaco has made 18-of-36 three-point attempts on the year and tops the A-Sun in three-point field-goal percentage (50).

Getting Offensive

For the first time since the start of the 2011-12 season, Northern Kentucky scored over 80 points in four-straight contests with 107 versus UC Clermont, 81 at Chattanooga, 83 at Morehead State and 81 versus Idaho. In its last five games, NKU is averaging 81.4 points per game. The Norse are shooting 49.0 percent (140-of-286) from the floor, which includes 43.3 percent (45-of-104) from three-point land, during the five-game stretch.

Also, over that period Tayler Persons is leading a quartet of Norse averaging double-figures at 17.0 points per game. Tyler White (11.2) and Jalen Billups (10.6) are also scoring at double-digit clips.

Northern Kentucky's bench has outscored its opponents, 235-96.

Feeling the Holiday Rush

Northern Kentucky played four games in a nine-day stretch prior to the Chrismas holiday, going 3-1 during that span. Consecutive wins over Morehead State and Idaho in the last two games have provided NKU with its fourth-straight season with back-to-back wins prior to Christmas.

Following a four-day break for Christmas, NKU has three more games in an eight-day span. The second stretch of games started with a 76-55 loss at Northwestern on Dec. 27 and continues at Youngstown State on New Year's Eve before concluding on Jan. 3 with Toledo at home.

Scouting Youngstown State

Youngstown State sits at 8-6 overall and will take the court for the first time following an 11-day layoff for Christmas. The Penguins last played on Friday, Dec. 19, when they defeated Wilberforce, 92-71.

Marcus Keene paces the Penguinsí attack, averaging 17.4 points per game. He is joined in double-figures by Bobby Hain (15.1) and Shawn Amiker (13.9). Hain and Amiker lead YSU in rebounding at 8.8 and 7.1 rebounds per game, respectively.

Last Time Out: Northwestern

NKU jumped ahead by five in the opening minutes and played well for the first 14 minutes of the game against Northwestern, but the Wildcats used a 16-4 run over the final six minutes of the contest en route to a 36-24 halftime advantage. NKU mounted a rally mid-way through the second half, but Northwestern weathered the storm and pushed the lead back out for a 76-55 win. Todd Johnson led NKU with 14 points and Jalen Billups added eight points, five boards and four blocks. The Wildcats received 23 points from Tre Demps, while Bryant McIntosh and Scottie Lindsey chipped in 15 and 12, respectively.