Box Score (PDF)SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Northern Kentucky rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit for a 66-65 win over USC Upstate on Saturday afternoon.
Jalen Billups led the Norse with 16 points on the strength of perfect 7-for-7 shooting from the floor.
"That was an enormous win for us," said head coach
Dave Bezold. "Our guys showed a lot of moxy battling back in the second half. I really thought Jalen's ability to score inside opened things up for Tayler [Persons] and Todd [Johnson] and those two guys knocked down some key baskets."
The win moves Northern Kentucky to 8-10 overall and 2-1 in the Atlantic Sun.
The onset of the game featured a back-and-forth affair with NKU establishing an 11-8 advantage after the first five minutes. A 9-0 run by USC Upstate (13-6, 1-2 A-Sun) pushed the Spartans out in front, a lead they did not relinquish for the remainder of the half on their way to a 36-24 margin.
Upstate maintained an 8-11 point advantage for the first eight minutes of the second half. Trailing, 47-38, the Norse made their move over the next six minutes, scoring 14 of the next 19 points to grab a 52-51 lead.
Todd Johnson kick-started the run with a three from the corner and
Tayler Persons ended it with the final five points.
After the Spartans scored the next four points to regain the lead,
Tyler White cashed a trifecta to even the game at 55. Johnson then sandwiched another two treys around an Upstate basket before following with a third three-pointer to extend NKU's lead to 61-57 with 1:46 left on the clock.
Fred Miller connected on a driving lay-up and Ty Greene then made a pair of free throws to pull Upstate within three.
Billups and
Chad Jackson each converted on 1-of-2 free throws to provide NKU with a five-point cushion, 66-61, with 30-ticks on the clock.
Greene, a unanimous preseason all-conference selection for Upstate, was fouled on a three-pointer. The three was good and Greene knocked down the free throw to shrink Northern Kentucky's lead to one, 66-65.
The Norse turned the ball over on the offensive end of the floor, but stifling defense prevented the Spartans from even attempting a shot. NKU held on for the 66-65 win.
In addition to his 16 points, Billups hauled in eight rebounds. This marks the second-consecutive 16-point, eight-board effort, as the junior forward had identical point and rebound totals in NKU's win over Kennesaw State on Wednesday.
Persons finished with 15 points, while Johnson converted 4-of-6 three-point attempts for his 12 points.
Chad Jackson also finished in double-figures, posting 10 points and four assists.
The last time NKU rallied from a double-digit second-half deficit came against Jacksonville, who the Norse will face next Saturday. In that game, NKU trailed by 13 with 2:36 left in the game, but closed on a 19-4 run to win 66-62.
Northern Kentucky returns home for consecutive games against North Florida and Jacksonville on Jan. 22 and 24, respectively. At halftime of the contest with North Florida, NKU will honor each of its student-athletes who achieved a 3.5 GPA or better in the fall semester as part of Student-Athlete Academic Appreciation Night. The evening will also serve as Faculty/Staff Appreciation, Military Appreciation and $1 special drinks night.
