CHAMPAIGN, ILL. – The Northern Kentucky men's basketball team built as much as an eight-point advantage, but a second-half run from Illinois led to a 79-64 setback for the Norse on Sunday evening. With the loss, NKU dips to 1-1, while Illinois improves to 2-0.
 
STATS LEADERS

• Carson Williams posted the first double-double of his career, going for 10 points and 14 rebounds. He also added a team-best five assists.
• A strong shooting effort (5-for-10) from Lavone Holland II led to a team-high 13 points.

 
TURNING POINT

• With the score tied at 50, NKU turned the ball over on back-to-back plays and Illinois went on an 11-0 run.

 
FIRST-HALF SUMMARY

• NKU led at the break 33-31 thanks to eight points and eight rebounds from Williams in the stanza.
• NKU trailed, 20-16, with just under nine minutes left in the half. But, the Norse used a 16-4 run to gain a 32-24 advantage with 3:27 remaining.
• Stingy defense helped Northern Kentucky. Illinois mustered just 33 percent (8-of24) shooting against an aggressive NKU team.

 
SECOND-HALF SUMMARY

• The first nine minutes was a back-and-forth affair. NKU pushed out by four, before Illinois rallied to go up by five. The Norse responded and knotted the game at 50 with 9:44 left.
• Following Illinois' 11-point spurt, Northern Kentucky scored five-straight to make it a two-possession game. But, the Norse weren't able to overcome the deficit.
• NKU shot just 32 percent (8-of-25), compared to 51 percent (18-of-25) for Illinois.

 
GAME NOTES

• The Norse dominated the boards to the tune of a 43-32 advantage. In addition to Williams' 14 boards, Blake Spellman nabbed five and Jordan Garnett added four.
• With Williams' double-double, NKU has had a player record a double-double in each of the first two games.  Jeff Garrett had 12 points and 14 boards in the season-opener on Friday against Earlham.
• Malcolm Hill led all scorer's with 40 points. He also pulled down 12 rebounds for a double-double. Michael Finke finished with 10 points and 11 boards.

 
NEXT UP

• Northern Kentucky heads just north of Cincinnati for the Tarkett Sports Classic, which is hosted by Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Nov. 18-20. NKU opens with Austin Peay on Friday at 5:00 p.m.