HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - After meeting less than two weeks ago in Fort Myers, Florida, Northern Kentucky hosts Florida gulf Coast in a key Atlantic Sun Conference matchup for the Norse. NKU (10-13) enters at 4-4 in conference play and stands three games behind FGCU (17-7, 7-1 A-Sun) in the league standings with six games remaining on the schedule. The Norse are also fighting to secure a home game in the A-Sun Championship with a top-four finish in conference play. Currently, Northern Kentucky is tied with Lipscomb in fourth, but NKU holds the tie-breaker.

Northern Kentucky University Norse (10-13 Overall, 4-4 Atlantic Sun)
Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles (17-7 Overall, 7-1 Atlantic Sun)
Thurs., Feb. 12 - 7:05 p.m. (ET)
The Bank of Kentucky Center (9,400) in Highland Heights, Ky.
TV: ESPN3 with Brady Laber (play-by-play) and Amber Stocks-Whitford (analysis)
Radio: ESPN 1530 (AM) with Jim Kelch (play-by-play) and Steve Moeller (analysis)

Fast Break Points

• Northern Kentucky avenged a January loss to Lipscomb with a 77-60 win over the Bisons thanks to Tyler White's 18 points.
• For the second time in the last three games, NKU will play FGCU. The Norse look to even the score after falling 74-64 in Fort Myers.
• Sitting at 10-13 overall, NKU has already surpassed last season's win total (9). The Norse are one win away from their 2012-13 total (11).
• NKU is second overall in the A-Sun in shooting (45.4%) and turnovers (11.6). In A-Sun games, NKU leads the league in shooting (46.7%).
• In A-Sun play, NKU has shot no worse than 41.1% in any game and has held three adversaries to less than 40% (Upstate, FGCU, Lipscomb).
• NKU has made at least as many FGs as all but one foe in A-Sun play, but its opponents have made more FTs than NKU has attempted in 6-of-8 league games.
• Four Norse are averaging double-digits in A-Sun play, Billups (16.1), White (12.0), C. Jackson (11.1) and. Persons (11.0)
• The Norse were picked to finish 5th in the A-Sun this season by both the coaches & media, NKU's highest A-Sun preseason rank to date.
• At 4-4 in conference play, the Norse currently sit t-4th with Lipscomb. NKU holds the tie-break.
• For the first time since reclassifying to DI prior to the 2012-13 season, NKU is eligible to participate in the A-Sun Conference Tournament.
• F Jalen Billups ranks among NKU's all-time leaders in FG % (2nd, .627), blocks (7th, 86) & blocks per game (12th, 1.0).
• Billups leads the league and ranks fourth nationally (ESPN) in field goal percentage (68.9), a mark that currently tops NKU's record books as well. 
• Billups is averaging 16.1 ppg in A-Sun games behind 75.3 percent shooting, which leads the league by nearly 12 percent.
• G Chad Jackson and Billups are climbing NKU's all-time scoring list. The duo sits in a tie for 42nd with 745 points each.
• G Chad Jackson is fourth in A-Sun games in shooting, making 57.1 percent of his attempts.
• #DiaperDandy G Tayler Persons leads NKU in scoring (12.2 ppg), assists (3.7 apg) and steals (1.1).
• In the last 15 games, Billups is averaging 13.5 ppg, while Persons is at 13.3 and White at 11.6.
• G Tyler White poured in 18 points behind 6-for-11 shooting, including 4-of-7 from deep, vs. Lipscomb.
• White has started 12-of-the-last-13 games. He also leads NKU in made 3's (46) & is 15th in NKU's record books with 122-career treys.
• F Deontae Cole has knocked down multiple 3-point shots in three of the last four games, including three 3's and 11 points vs. Lipscomb.

White Hot

Junior guard Tyler White poured in a career-high 24 points, including 19 in the first half, in NKU's win at Morehead State. He also connected on a career-best five threes in the game. He tallied his second 20-point effort at Lipscomb (Jan. 10) and then exploded for 18 first-half points in NKUís home meeting with the Bisons. White has reached double-figures in 11 of the last 17 games and is third on the team in scoring at 9.3 points per game. 

The native of Lima, Ohio, was second on the team in scoring last season, averaging 10.8 points per game. His efforts landed him a spot on the College Sports Madness A-Sun preseason all-conference third team. 

Igniting Cole

Sophomore Deontae Cole has earned a spot in the starting rotation the last 15 games. He scored a career-high 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point territory against UC Clermont and followed with seven points versus Chattanooga. Cole was one of five Norse to reach double figures against Youngstown, connecting on four triples for 12 points. The forward is 24-of-50 (48.0 percent) from three and is averaging 5.4 points per game during the last 15 games. On the season, Cole has knocked down 43.3 percent of his 3-point attempts, an average that ranks second in the A-Sun.

Sharp Shooting Norse

Led by junior forward Jalen Billups and senior guard Chad Jackson, Northern Kentucky tops the A-Sun in shooting during league action at 46.7 percent and ranks second in all games at 45.4 percent. 

Billups leads the league in shooting at 73.1 percent (55-of-73) in A-Sun only games.  He also tops the A-Sun in field-goal percent in all games and, according to ESPN ranks fourth nationally, knocking down 68.9 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 17 of NKU's 23 games and has made 75 percent or more nine times, including two perfect performances in the last six games (at USC Upstate, Lipscomb).

Jackson ranks fourth in the league in field-goal percent, connecting on 57.1 percent of his attempts in conference play. Jackson also sits sixth in overall field-goal percent (52.2).

Scouting FGCU

The Eagles enter the weekend on a seven-game winning streak in league play, which includes three-straight double-digit victories. FGCU is tied with North Florida atop the Atlantic Sun Conference standings, although North Florida currently holds the tie-breaker on Florida Gulf Coast after the Ospreys claimed an 80-64 win when the teams met on Jan. 14.

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. Thompson averages 14.2 points per game to lead the Eagles' scoring efforts, but its the A-Sun's leading assistman Comer who sets the table with 6.8 assists per game. Comer is the reigning A-Sun Player of the Week, an award he won after going for 21 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds against Stetson. Demetris Morant earned the A-Sun's Newcomer of the Week after tallying nine points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks in the same game. 

Series Stuff - FGCU

Florida Gulf Coast is the lone Atlantic Sun team in which Northern Kentucky has yet to register a victory against (0-5 all-time). Despite limiting the Eagles to 38 percent shooting, including 25 percent in the second half, the Norse dropped a 64-74 decision at FGCU just two games ago. The difference in the game came down to FGCU's first half three-point shooting (9-of-16) and second half success at the charity stripe (17-of-23). Brett Comer led all scorerís with 24 points. Tayler Persons paced the Norse with 20 points and Jalen Billups narrowly missed a double-double with 14 points, nine rebounds.

Last Time Out: Lipscomb

Tyler White scored 18 points, all in the first half, to help NKU build a comfortable 41-20 halftime advantage. The Norse built as much as a 30-point margin, 51-21, with 15 minutes remaining before cruising to a 77-60 home win. Northern Kentucky shot a blistering 57 percent (26-of-46) from the floor and 52 percent (11-of-21) from three-point range. Meanwhile, NKU's defense was stingy, limiting Lipscomb to 31 percent (14-of-45) shooting. Both the battle of the boards (35-26) and points in the paint (26-10) went the way of the Norse. Jalen Billups tacked on 15 points on perfect 6-for-6 shooting and Deontae Cole connected on three triples en route to an 11-point showing. The victory moved NKU into a fourth-place tie with Lipscomb at 4-4 in league play.