HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Stingy defense helped the Northern Kentucky men's basketball team roll past Detroit Mercy on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 72-44. With the win, NKU moves to 15-7 overall and 8-2 in the Horizon League. Detroit Mercy falls to 6-17 on the season and 2-8 in League play.
 
STATS LEADERS

• Carson Williams was the leading scorer in the game with 13 points. He also added nine rebounds.
• Drew McDonald notched his 10^th double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
• Tyler Sharpe added 10 points, three rebounds and two assists.
• Lavone Holland II, Jeff Garrett and Mason Faulkner each had eight points.
• Jalen Tate contributed two points, six rebounds and five assists. The six rebounds were a career-high for him.

TURNING POINT

• The Norse went on a 13-0 run with 4:32 remaining in the first half to build a 31-14 advantage. NKU went on to lead by as much as 32 points in the second half, and Detroit Mercy was unable to overcome the deficit.

FIRST-HALF SUMMARY

• Both teams started out slowly on the offensive end, as NKU had a 3-2 lead at the first media timeout.
• The Norse found their offensive rhythm and went on a 13-0 run at the 4:32 minute mark to take a 33-16 lead into halftime. Williams scored four points during the run, Sharpe knocked down a three-pointer, and Faulkner hit back-to-back three-pointers.
• NKU held Detroit Mercy to 7-of-36 (19.4%) shooting from the floor and 1-of-10 (10.0%) shooting from behind the arc.
• The Norse shot 12-of-30 (40.0%) on field goals and 7-of-18 (38.9%) from the three-point line.
• NKU's bench outscored Detroit Mercy 17-9 in the half.
• The Norse had 10 assists on 12 made field goals.
• McDonald finished the half with seven points and 10 rebounds.

 
SECOND-HALF SUMMARY

• NKU outscored Detroit Mercy 16-4 to start the second half, and the Norse led by as much as 32 in the game.
• The Norse went on to win by a final score of 72-44.
• NKU shot 15-of-29 (51.7%) from the floor and 4-of-12 (33.3%) from the three-point line in the half.
• Detroit Mercy was 10-of-25 (40.0%) on field goals and 3-of-10 (30.0%) from beyond the arc.
• The Norse outrebounded Detroit Mercy 20-11 in the half.
• Williams had seven points and five rebounds in the period.

GAME NOTES

• The last time NKU held an opponent to under 20 percent shooting in a half was Feb. 7, 2015. The Norse held Lipscomb to just 4-of-22 (18.2%) shooting in the first half of a 77-60 win.
• NKU shot 27-of-59 (45.9%) from the floor during the game and 11-of-30 (36.7%) from the three-point line.
• Detroit Mercy went just 17-of-61 (27.9%) on field goals and 4-of-20 (20.0%) on attempts from behind the arc.
• The Norse finished with a 47-29 rebounding advantage.
• NKU had 19 assists on 27 made field goals.
• The Norse had six players score eight points or more.
• McDonald's double-double was not only his 10^th of the season, it was his eighth in the last 12 games.

NEXT UP

• NKU travels to Youngstown State on Thursday, Feb. 1. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.