HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Four Norse scored in double figures as a pivotal 16-4 second-half run led NKU to a win over Norfolk State, 81-60, Sunday night at BB&T Arena.
 
NKU had a pair of players, Cole Murray and Jalen Billups, post 20 or more points in the same game for the first time in Northern Kentucky's Division I era.
 
Billups led all players with 23 points and fell one rebound shy of a double-double. Murray issued a 6-of-8 performance from long range and 4-of-4 showing from the line to follow Billups with 22 points.
 
Tyler White chipped in 13 points while Jordan Garnett set a career high with 10 points.
 
A 74.1 second-half shooting percentage propelled NKU to post a season-best 57.4 percentage (31-of-54) from the floor including 55 percent (11-of-20) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the defense held NSU to 34.5 percent shooting.
 
The Norse (2-5) and Spartans (4-5) traded buckets to open the game before a pair of layups from Billups sparked a 10-2 NKU run where the Norse held NSU to one field goal over four minutes. The run pushed the Norse lead to 18-12 with 7:42 left in the half after back-to-back triples from Murray.
 
A game-tying 7-1 NSU run was halted by a Garnett layup that keyed eight uninterrupted points from the Norse. The Spartans managed a single field goal over the final six minutes of the half to hand NKU a 27-21 advantage at the intermission.
 
Norfolk State returned to the court and briefly stole the NKU momentum, putting up seven-straight points to come within one point of the Norse. However, five different Norse combined to help Northern Kentucky outscore Norfolk State, 16-4, over a span of four minutes to lead 50-36 with 12:07 to play.
 
The Norse maintained a double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the game.
 
Northern Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 15 when it travels to take on Michigan at 7 p.m. in a game set to air on the Big Ten Network.
 
NORSE NOTES:

• NKU held the NSU offense to 26.9 percent (7-of-26) shooting from the floor in the first half to mark the second time this season the Norse have held an opponent to less than 30 percent shooting in a half. No. 23 Xavier shot 28.13 percent in the second half against NKU on Nov. 23.
• The Norse never trailed past the 18:16 mark of the opening half when Norfolk State was ahead 10-8.
• NKU outrebounded its opponent for the second-straight game, winning the battle of the boards 33-30 including 25-17 on the defensive end.
• Murray entered the contest shooting 44 percent from three on the season and improved to 51 percent (17-of-33).