Sat., March 1 - Highland Heights, Ky. - 1 p.m.
The Bank of Kentucky Center (9,400)
Fla. Gulf Coast (19-11, 13-4) at N. Kentucky (9-20, 5-12)
NKU Radio: WQRT 1160 AM
•Richard Skinner (play-by-play) & Steve Moeller (color)
Series Record: FGCU leads, 3-0
Last Meeting: FGCU 60, NKU 56 (12-30-13)
NKU CONCLUDES SEASON AGAINST FGCU
Norse wrap up second year in Division I Saturday
NORSE NOTES (FIVE STARTERS & ONE)
1• NKU is 9-20 overall after posting a 96-58 win against Stetson on Thursday night. The Norse are 5-12 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
2•
Cole Murray tied his career high with 17 points as NKU snapped an eight-game losing streak.
3• The Norse built a 57-28 halftime lead against Stetson and eventually extended that advantage to as many as 42 points in the second half.
4• NKU finished 13-for-24 from 3-point range.
5• NKU owns a 65-17 all-time record in The Bank of Kentucky Center.
+1• NKU is 0-3 all-time against Florida Gulf Coast, including a 60-56 loss earlier this season.
NKU MEETS FGCU: Northern Kentucky plays host to Florida Gulf Coast at 1 p.m. Saturday in the annual homecoming game. The Norse are 9-20 overall, 5-12 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Florida Gulf Coast enters Saturday with a 19-11 record. The Eagles, who dropped a 92-71 decision at Lipscomb on Thursday night, are tied with Mercer for first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings with a 13-4 record.
TORRID NORSE: NKU built a 29-point halftime lead Thursday night and cruised to a 96-58 victory over Stetson in The Bank of Kentucky Center.
Cole Murray scored 17 points for Northern Kentucky, which snapped an eight-game losing streak. The Norse led by as many as 33 points in the first half and coasted to the win.
The Norse shot 55.9 percent from the field in the first half, including 7-for-12 from 3-point range. The 57 points before intermission are the most for Northern Kentucky since reclassifying to Division I.
The Norse finished 13-for-24 from 3-point range. Murray drained five treys, and
Tyler White made a trio of 3-pointers.
Murray's 17 points equaled his career-high scoring total. He also netted 17 points against Tulane (Nov. 23) and Lipscomb (Jan. 24) earlier this season.
Jalen Billups and White each added 14 points as NKU completed the season sweep over Stetson (7-22, 5-12 A-Sun).
Jordan Jackson scored 13 points and dished out six assists, while
Dean Danos finished with 10 points.
NEW MARK IN D-1: The 96 points against Stetson were the most scored by the Norse since beginning Division I play. NKU earlier this season netted 91 points in an overtime win at Tulane, the first time in Division I the Norse had reached the 90-point mark.
The NKU single-game record for most points is 126, set against Oakland City on Dec. 16, 1991.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST FGCU: Earlier this season on Dec. 30, Bernard Thompson scored 17 points and made two free throws in the closing seconds as Florida Gulf Coast held on for a 60-56 victory over NKU.
Thompson also grabbed five rebounds for Florida Gulf Coast. Chase Fieler added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Eagles, who rallied from a 39-35 deficit with less than 14 minutes left.
Cole Murray, who finished with a team-high 12 points off the bench, drained a trio of 3-pointers in the first half as NKU battled back from an early 14-5 deficit and closed to within a basket (28-26) at the break.
Deontae Cole also keyed the Norse rally by burying a pair of 3-pointers in the first half.
NKU opened the second half with an 11-5 run and took a 37-33 lead on
Jordan Jackson's spectacular fast-break dunk. The Norse still owned a 39-35 advantage with 13:49 left after
Jalen Billups scored inside.
Fieler and Filip Cvjeticanin, however, responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to give Florida Gulf Coast a 41-39 lead. The Eagles eventually built a 57-51 edge on a Thompson basket with less than four minutes remaining, but the Norse responded and pulled to within three points (57-54) when Jackson made a pair of free throws with 1:42 left. Jamail Jones missed a dunk on Florida Gulf Coast's next possession, giving the Norse an opportunity with less than a minute left on the clock.
Todd Johnson attempted a 3-pointer that could have tied the game, but the shot rimmed out and was rebounded by Brett Comer.
