FORT MYERS, Fla. - Following Thursday nights game at Stetson, Northern Kentucky men's basketball will stay in the Sunshine State for a key Atlantic Sun Conference contest against Florida Gulf Coast. Saturday's game is scheduled to tip at 7:05 at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Florida.

Northern Kentucky University Norse (9-12 Overall, 3-3 Atlantic Sun)
Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles (15-7 Overall, 5-1 Atlantic Sun)
Sat., Jan. 31 - 7:05 p.m. (ET)
Alico Arena (4,633) in Fort Myers, Fla.
TV: ESPN3
Radio: 55KRC (550 AM) with Jim Kelch (play-by-play) and Steve Moeller (analysis)

Fast Break Points

• F Jalen Billups ranks among NKUís all-time leaders in FG % (2nd, .626), blocks (t-8th, 83) & blocks per game (12th, 1.0).
• Billups leads the league and ranks second nationally (ESPN) in field goal percentage (69.5), a mark that currently tops NKU's record books as well. 
• Billups is averaging 16.7 ppg in A-Sun games behind 79.2 percent shooting, which leads the league by nearly 16 percent.
• With 19 points at Stetson, Billups moved into the top-50 on NKUís all-time scoring list. He sits 48th with 716 points.
• G Chad Jackson is fourth in A-Sun games in shooting, making 59.6 percent of his attempts.
• C. Jackson scored his 730th point as a Norse against Stetson, passing AC Ethan Faulkner for 46th all-time at NKU.
• In the last five games, C. Jackson is averaging 14.8 points per game on 60.9 percent shooting and 6.6 rebounds per game.
• #DiaperDandy G Tayler Persons leads NKU in scoring (12.2 ppg), assists (3.7 apg) and steals (1.1).
• In the last 13 games, Persons is averaging 13.5 ppg, while Billups is at 13.4 and White at 11.1.
• G Tyler White has started 10-of-the-last-11 games and leads NKU w/ threes (41) & is 16th in NKU's record books with 117-career treys.
• G Cole Murray posted a career-high 26 points behind a career-high eight 3-pointers versus Stetson.

Murray From Three

Sophomore guard Cole Murray found his stride from deep against North Carolina A&T. He went off for then-career-highs in points (21) and made threes (7). Murray notched his second 20-point effort of the season with new career-marks in threes (8) and points (26) in Northern Kentucky's 85-75 loss at Stetson. Against the Hatters, he was an efficient 8-of-13 from deep, with several shots rattling around before lipping out. Murray has reached double-figures three times now on the year, including the two 20-point showings.

Sharp Shooting Norse

Led by junior forward Jalen Billups and senior guard Chad Jackson, Northern Kentucky ranks second in the A-Sun in shooting during league action at 45.0 percent. 

Billups leads the conference in shooting at 79.2 percent (42-of-53) in league only games.  He also tops the A-Sun in field-goal percent in all games and, according to ESPN ranks second nationally, knocking down 69.5 percent. Billups has only been held below 50 percent shooting one time the entire season, an 0-for-2 performance versus No. 16/17 West Virginia. He has shot 60 percent or better in 16 of NKU's 21 games and has made 75 percent or more eight times.

Jackson ranks fourth in the league in field-goal percent, connecting on 59.6 percent of his attempts in conference play. Jackson also sits sixth in overall field-goal percent (52.8).

Scouting FGCU

Florida Gulf Coast (15-7, 5-1 A-Sun) was picked by both the coaches and media to win the Atlantic Sun this season. The Eagles placed three players on the preseason A-Sun all-conference team, Brett Comer, Bernard Thompson and Jamail Jones. Comer and Thompson were unanimous selections to the team and Thompson was tabbed as the preseason player of the year.

FGCU sits in second, one game behind the North Florida program that trounced the Eagles, 80-64, earlier this season. Thompson averages 14.4 points per game to lead the Eaglesí scoring efforts, but its the A-Sunís leading assist-man Comer who sets the table with 6.8 assists per game.

Series Stuff - FGCU

Florida Gulf Coast is the lone Atlantic Sun team in which Northern Kentucky has yet to register a victory against (0-4 all-time) after dropping two decisions last season by scores of 60-56 (12/30/13) and 92-72 (3/1/14). FGCU has averaged 71.3 points per game in the four contests against the Norse, while NKU has averaged 58.8 points. Jalen Billups posted 15.5 points per game in the two contests versus FGCU last season, including an 11-point showing in game one and 20-point effort in game two. In the second contest, Tyler White chipped in 18 points.

Milestones On The Horizon

Season Shooting Percentage
1.    Jalen Billups ('14-15)    69.5 %
2.     Adam Norwell ('00-01)    65.8 %
3.    Jesse Rupe ('02-03)    65.11 %
4.    Jalen Billups ('11-12)    65.06 %

Career Scoring
41.    Carl Mitchell    757
42.    Larry Hock    740
43.    Eshaunte Jones    736
44.    Andy Listerman    733
45.    Kevin Rienhardt    731
46.    Chad Jackson    730
47.    Ethan Faulkner    728
48.    Jalen Billups    716
49.    Ron Marbrey    715
50.    Billy Finnell    709
    Marvin Wilson    706
    Vincent Humprey     698
    Tyler White    632

Career Blocks
7.    DeAndre Nealy    85
8.    Jalen Billups    83
    Mike Vieth    83

Career Steals
17.    Willie Schlarman    110
18.    Chad Jackson    108