Game Notes

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Fresh off of a 76-72 win over Kennesaw State for its first Atlantic Sun Conference win of the young conference season, Northern Kentucky will travel to Spartanburg, South Carolina, to face USC Upstate. The Norse take their 7-10 overall record  into the matchup, while the Spartans enter at 13-5. Both teams are 1-1 in league play. Tip-off at The G.B. Hodge Center is slated for 2:00 p.m. (ET).

Northern Kentucky University Norse (7-10 Overall, 1-1 Atlantic Sun)
University of South Carolina Upstate Spartans (13-5 Overall, 1-1 Atlantic Sun)
Sat., Jan. 17 - 2:00 p.m. (ET)
The G.B. Hodge Center (818) in Spartanburg, S.C.
TV: ESPN3 with Jason Patterson (play-by-play) and Phil Cox (analysis) 
Radio: The Project (100.7/106.3 FM) with Jim Kelch (play-by-play) and Steve Moeller (analysis)

Fast Break Points

• Northern Kentucky won its first A-Sun game of the season with a 76-72 victory over Kennesaw State to improve to 5-1 all-time vs. the Owls.
• The Norse tied a season low with just seven miscues against Kennesaw State, matching the total posted against Chattanooga.
• NKU is 1-3 all-time versus USC Upstate, with the lone win coming on Feb. 2, 2013.
• Excluding NKU's game against West Virginia, who leads the nation in opponent turnovers, the Norse commit just 10.0 miscues per game.
• In the last nine games, NKU's bench has outscored its opponents, 333-147.
• Over the last nine games, NKU is averaging 74.8 ppg and shooting 46.1 percent (241-of-523) from the floor.
• F Jalen Billups ranks among NKU's all-time leaders in FG % (2nd, .612), blocks (10th, 76) & blocks per game (12th, 1.0).
• #DiaperDandy G Tayler Persons leads NKU in scoring (12.5 ppg), assists (3.9 apg) and steals (1.2).
• Persons is 10th in the A-Sun in scoring and third in assists. He is also 11th in steals and 26th in rebounding.
• In the last nine games, Persons is averaging 14.4 ppg, while Billups is at 11.6 and White at 11.4.
• Billups leads the league in field goal percentage (65.7), a mark that currently ranks second in NKU's annals by 0.1 percent.
• G Tyler White has started the last seven games and leads NKU in made threes (31). Heís t-16th in NKU's record books with 107-career treys.

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, .612), blocks (10th, 76) and blocks per game (13th, 1.0).

Billups connected on 65.1 percent (54-of-83) of his shots during the 2011-12 campaign, a mark that currently ranks third in NKU's single-season records list. So far this season, the Cincinnati, Ohio, native is 67-of-102 for 65.7 percent, a total that leads the A-Sun and, if the season ended today, would be the second-best in program history by 0.1 percent. Adam Norwell made 125-of-190 attempts (65.8 percent) during the 2000-01 season.

Billups' 9.5 points per game average is second-most on the team.

Scouting USC Upstate

South Carolina Upstate had a five-game winning streak snapped with a 60-58 loss at Lipscomb on Tuesday night. Upstate dropped to 1-1 in league play, but still holds a 13-5 overall record. The Spartans have road wins over Georgia Tech and Mississippi State on their ledger and are 9-1 at home, with the lone loss coming to Wright State.

Unanimous preseason A-Sun all-conference honoree Ty Greene paces Upstate's offensive output at 17.1 points per game. The only other Spartan averaging double-figures is Fred Miller, who checks in at 12.7 ppg.

As of Jan. 14, USC Upstate ranked in the top-11 nationally in six different statistical categories: total steals (3rd, 10.1), 3-point field goal attempts (4th, 436), turnover margin (5th, +5.6), steals per game (6th, 10.1), total assists (8th, 292) and assist-to-turnover ratio (11th, 1.47).

Series Stuff - USC Upstate

Northern Kentucky is 1-3 all-time against South Carolina Upstate, which includes a pair of losses last season. The Norse won the second of two meetings during their inaugural Atlantic Sun season in 2012-13. Jordan Jackson averaged 16 points and 4.5 rebounds per game against the Spartans last season, while Tyler White posted 10 points a contest.

Last Time Out: Kennesaw State

Chad Jackson notched a season-high 19 points and seven rebounds and Jalen Billups had 16 points and eight boards to lead NKU to its first Atlantic Sun Conference win of the season, a 76-72 decision over Kennesaw State at The Bank of Kentucky Center in Highland Heights, Kentucky. Jordan Jackson chipped in 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and three exhiliarating blocks.

NKU's bench outpaced KSU's subs to the tune of a 39-8 advantage. The Norse also led in rebounds (37-31), second chance points (15-4), points in the paint (38-20) and committed a season-low-tying seven turnovers, matching their total against Chattanooga.

Taking a Turn

Saturday's matchup between NKU and USC Upstate could come down to a turnover battle. Upstate leads the A-Sun in turnovers forced per game at 16.6, while NKU is the second-most careful team in the league committing just 11.2 turnovers per game. If Northern Kentucky's game against West Virginia is excluded (WVU leads the nation in turnovers forced), the Norse average just 10.0 miscues per game. The only A-Sun team better at valuing the ball than NKU is Upstate, which turns the ball over 11.0 times per game.