HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The final two nonconference games of the season for the Northern Kentucky men's basketball team start with a noon contest at UMBC on Sunday, Dec. 17.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (7-3 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
University of Maryland – Baltimore County (UMBC) Retrievers (7-5 Overall, 0-0 America East)
Sunday, Dec. 17 – Noon (ET)
RAC Arena (4,024) in Baltimore, Md.
TV: ESPN3 with Gary Stein (Play-by-Play), John Feinstein (Color) and Paul Mittermeier (Sideline)
Radio: FOXSports1360 (1360 AM) with Jim Kelch (Play-by-Play) and Steve Moeller (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Fast Break Points
• NKU moved to 7-3 on the year following its 91-63 thrashing of EKU.
• The Norse are the only team in the nation this year to score more points in the paint (64) than its Division I opponent scored in the entire game (63).
• Dating back to Jan. 22 last season, Northern Kentucky is riding an 11-game home win-streak. The Norse have won eight-straight nonconference home games as well.
• Northern Kentucky leads the nation in 2-point field goal percent (63.5).
• NKU is averaging 18.3 assists per game, a mark that ranks 16th in the nation. It also only commits 12.7 turnovers an outing, which ranks 101st nationally. Combining those two marks results in an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.44, the 25th best in the country.
• Not only are the Norse efficient offensively in those two areas, they are equally as impressive defensively in them. NKU forces the 21st-most turnovers per game in the nation (18.1) and allows teams to distribute just 10.2 assists per game.
• The 2017-18 season opened with NKU ranked No. 127 in KenPom's ratings, a stark contrast from one season ago when the Norse opened the year at No. 277. Through games played Dec. 14, NKU sits at 87th, which is tops in the Horizon League.
• The Norse are ranked No. 14 in the CollegeInsider.Com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll and are receiving votes in the Mid-Major Madness Power Rankings.
• NKU is one of 16 teams in the country to return at least 70 percent of its production in points (77), rebounds (84) and assists (84).
• F Carson Williams is converting 70.9 percent of his field-goal attempts (61-of-86), a mark that ranks 6th in the country. He is also 4-of-6 from three this year and averaging 14.9 ppg.
• F Drew McDonald became NKU's 26th member of the 1,000-point club versus Morehead State. He leads NKU in scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg).
• G Lavone Holland II is the consummate point guard - scores when needed (13.9 ppg), sets the table for his teammates (4.9 apg) and takes care of the ball (2.2 turnovers per game). His 2.23 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 118th in the country.
• F Jordan Garnett has twice scored a career-high 15 points this season, James Madison and Memphis, and is averaging a career-best 8.3 points per game, which is nearly double his career average (4.3 ppg).
• F Jeff Garrett is a rebound machine, pulling down 59 on the season. He is averaging 5.9 points and 5.9 rebounds a game.
 
Last Time Out
Northern Kentucky became the first, and so far only, team this season to score more points in the paint (64) than its Division I opponent scored in the game in a 91-63 thumping of intrastate foe Eastern Kentucky. McDonald and Williams combined to shoot 19-of-23 from the floor for 44 points. Dantez Walton and Holland chipped in 10 points each and Mason Faulkner set the table for his teammates with an exceptional six assists and zero turnovers.
 
Leading by eight at the break, the Norse shot 71.4 percent in the second half and blew the game open with 54 points in the stanza. For the game, NKU converted 60 percent of its shots (39-of-65), but its shooting inside the arc was simply astonishing - 34-of-43 (79 percent).
 
Scouting UMBC
Sporting a 7-5 record, UMBC is off to a solid start after being picked to finish third in the America East preseason poll. The Retrievers have a potent offense that is averaging 81.8 points per game and are led by VCU transfer Jairus Lyles, who averages 20.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Lyles, however, is turnover prone giving up the ball an average of 3.8 times per outing. Arkel Lamar (15.0), Joe Sherburne (11.5) and K.J. Maura (10.7) also average double digits.
 
The Retrievers are certainly not shy at letting the shots rain from 3-point territory. They rank third in the nation in 3-point attempts (356), second in 3-point field goals per game (12.6) and first in made threes (151). The success comes from the fact that UMBC is the nation's 11th-most efficient shooting team from beyond the arc, converting 42.4 percent.
 
Series Stuff
This marks the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Norse play six first-time opponents this year and have gone 2-2 in those games thus far, defeating Iona and James Madison, but falling to Memphis and Vermont. NKU also plays Texas A&M for the first time this year.