Game Notes (PDF)

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Seniors Chad Jackson and Jordan Jackson will close their regular-season careers as Norse when Northern Kentucky men's basketball hosts South Carolina Upstate in the regular-season finale at The Bank of Kentucky Center at 7 p.m., Saturday night. Senior Night festivities will be held prior to the start of the game.

As a sophomore, Chad Jackson was instrumental in helping the Norse reach the championship game of the GLVC Tournemant and leading the team to the NCAA Tourney. Since then he has etched his name into the NKU record books, steadily climbing the career-scoring (41^st, 786 points) and career-steals (t-15th, 114) charts. Jackson earned Northern Kentucky's first-ever appearance on ESPN Sports Center's Top 10 plays with a two-handed tip-dunk against Kennesaw State on Jan. 26, 2013. Perhaps Jackson's best game as a Norse came at home this season against North Florida when he scored a career-high 26 points and hauled in 12 rebounds.

Jordan Jackson joined the team prior to the 2013-14 season and immediately left a mark. He finished that season ranked third on NKU's single-season free-throw attempts list with 212 and his 141 made free throws are the fifth-most in a single-season. Jackson averaged 13.5 points per game last year, earning him a spot on College Sports Madness's preseason all-conference second team. So far this year, he is converting 52 percent of his shots. Arguably, Jackson's best game this season is a 10-point, six-rebound effort against No. 16 West Virginia.

Northern Kentucky University Norse (12-16 Overall, 6-7 Atlantic Sun)
University of South Carolina Upstate Spartans (21-9 Overall, 8-5 Atlantic Sun)
Sat., Feb. 28 - 7:00 p.m. (ET)
The Bank of Kentucky Center (9,400) in Highland Heights, Ky.
TV: ESPN3 with Brady Laber (play-by-play) and Brad Redford (analysis)
Radio: FOX Sports 1360 (AM) with Jim Kelch (play-by-play) and Steve Moeller (analysis)

Fast Break Points

• NKU rolled past Kennesaw State, 78-53, on the strength of Tyler White's 19 points and Chad Jackson's 11 points, 13 boards.
• The Norse will host USC Upstate Saturday night. NKU overcame a double-digit second-half deficit to nab a 66-65 win in game No. 1.
• Sitting at 12-16 overall, NKU has surpassed its win total from both 2012-13 (11) and last season (9).
• In three of the last four games a Norse has recorded a double-double, Stetson (Persons), Jacksonville (Persons) and Kennesaw State (C. Jackson).
• NKU is second overall in the A-Sun in shooting (45.8%) and turnovers (11.8). In A-Sun games, NKU leads the league in shooting (46.9%).
• In A-Sun play, NKU has been held below 40% shooting in just one game and has held five adversaries to less than 40% (Upstate, FGCU, Lipscomb, Stetson, KSU).
• Four Norse are averaging double-digits in A-Sun play, Billups (13.8), Persons (13.4) and White (11.5) and Chad Jackson (10.0).
• 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 6-7 in conference play, the Norse currently sit t-4th with a Lipscomb team over which NKU holds the tie-break.
• A win over USC Upstate or a Lipscomb loss to Kennesaw State will secure the No. 4 seed for NKU in the A-Sun Championship.
• G Tayler Persons leads NKU in scoring (13.1 ppg), assists (3.7 apg) and steals (1.0).
• F Jalen Billups ranks among NKU's all-time leaders in FG % (2nd, .632), blocks (t-6th, 92) & blocks per game (12th, 1.0).
• Billups leads the league and ranks third nationally (ESPN) in field goal percentage (69.3), a mark that currently tops NKU's record books as well. 
• Billups is averaging 13.8 ppg in A-Sun games behind 74.0 percent shooting, which leads the league by 17 percent.
• Billups also ranks fourth in the league in blocks (1.3) and sixth in rebounds (5.7). He also ranks third in rebounding (6.9) in A-Sun games.
• G Chad Jackson and Billups are climbing NKUís all-time scoring list. Billups ranks 39th with 796 points & Jackson checks in at No. 41 (786).

A-Sun Championship Scenarios

Northern Kentucky is currently tied with Lipscomb in fourth-place. Should the two teams end up tied after Saturday's contests, NKU will hold the tie-break over Lipscomb. In order for NKU to secure the No. 4 seed and coveted home-court advantage for the A-Sun Quarterfinals, it needs to either defeat USC Upstate on Saturday or have Lipscomb fall to Kennesaw State. No matter the outcome, Northern Kentucky and Lipscomb will meet in the quarterfinals in the four/five game.

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, .632), blocks (t-6th, 92) and blocks per game (12th, 1.0).

So far this season, the Cincinnati, Ohio, native is 133-of-192 for 69.3 percent, a total that ranks third in the nation (via ESPN), leads the A-Sun and, if the season ended today, would be the best in program history. 

Billups' 11.1 points per game average is second-most on the team (16th A-Sun). In Atlantic Sun Conference action, Billups is averaging 13.8 points per game (10th in A-Sun) on league-leading 74.0 percent shooting. He is also averaging 6.9 rebounds through 13 league games (3rd A-Sun).

Point Person(s)

Guard Tayler Persons has emerged as one of NKUís leaders as a true freshman. Persons has recorded double-digit scoring efforts 20 times this season. A 30-point effort against Chattanooga, coupled with a 16-point, eight assist games at Morehead State, led to both A-Sun Newcomer and Mid-Major Madness Freshman of the Week honors. He tallied  23 points to lead NKU past Idaho, 79-74. Persons' efforts against EWU and Idaho garnered him A-Sun Newcomer of the Week honors.

Persons notched his first career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds in NKUís 82-57 drubbing of Stetson. He posted a second-straight double-double with career-highs in points (31) and rebounds (12) to go along with six assists at Jacksonville. The Kokomo, Indiana, native followed with 10 points, three boards and two assistsat North Florida and was named A-Sun Newcomer of the Week for the third time this year.

The consecutive double-doubles were the first for a Norse since Malcom Eleby completed the feat during the 2011-12 season (1/15 and 1/20) at Wisconsin-Parkside (13 points, 12 rebounds) and at Bellarmine (13 points, 12 rebounds). He is also the first NKU player since Travis Rasso (31 points, 14 rebounds) in Dec. 2007 to score 30 or more points in a double-double.

Persons has made his presence felt all over the court for the Norse. He leads Northern Kentucky in scoring (13.1 ppg), assists (3.7 apg) and steals (1.0 spg) and is third on the squad in rebounding at 4.6 rpg.

Scouting USC Upstate

USC Upstate has won eight of its last 10 games and drubbed Lipscomb, 70-47, on Wednesday night. Atlantic Sun scoring leader Ty Greene scored 25 points in the game and ShunQuez Stephens added 15. 

Greene leads the league in scoring at 20.1 points per game on 46.3 percent shooting. Fred Miller is the only other Spartan averaging double-digits, checking in at 12.5 points per game. Upstate has the second-most potent offense in the conference, scoring at 72.7 points per game, and the stingiest defense, allowing just 60.1 points.

Series Stuff: USC Upstate

Northern Kentucky is 2-3 all-time against USC Upstate, which includes this seasonís dramatic second-half come-from-behind victory over the Spartans in Spartanburg, South Carolina. NKU faced a 13-point deficit in both the first half and with 15-minutes remaining in the second frame before rallying. Todd Johnson provided a lift off the bench with 12 points, knocking down four trifectas and going on a personal 9-2 run with the game tied at 55. Jalen Billups led NKU with 16 points on perfect 7-for-7 shooting and pulled down eight caroms. Persons finished with 15 points and Chad Jackson chipped in 10.  Unanimous preseason all-conference honoree Ty Greene paced the Spartans with 22 points.

Last Time Out: Kennesaw State

Northern Kentucky dominated in nearly all facets of the game in a 78-53 take-down of Kennesaw State in Kennesaw, Ga. The Norse shook off inclement weather in the area that postponed the game 17 hours and had to be played at noon. Tyler White posted a game-high 19 points and Chad Jackson tallied his second double-double of the season with 11 points and career-high 13 boards.  The Norse outshot the Owls, (50 percent to 37 percent), while also winning the battle of the boards (37-22). Todd Johnson connected on four triples en route to 12 points and Tayler Persons reached double-figures for the 20th time this season with 10.