HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men's basketball team won its second game of the KEMI Northern Kentucky Basketball Classic, defeating Manhattan by a final score of 59-53. The Norse improve to 5-0 on the year, while Manhattan falls to 1-3.

 
STATS LEADERS

• Drew McDonald led all scorers with 19 points. He added eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
• Dantez Walton went 4-of-5 on three-pointers and scored 15 points. He also tallied seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
• Tyler Sharp scored nine points, all of which came in the second half.
• Chris Vogt finished the game with seven points, a career-high eight rebounds, and four blocks.

 
TURNING POINT

• NKU led 56-51 with 3:14 remaining in the second half. The Norse allowed just two points down the stretch, and held Manhattan to a mere field goal in the Jaspers' final eight attempts to get the 59-53 victory.

 
FIRST HALF SUMMARY

• NKU took a 10-5 lead into the first media timeout. McDonald scored seven points in the first 3:56 of the game.
• The Norse led by as much as nine points in the stanza and took a 25-19 lead into halftime.
• Vogt had seven points and six rebounds in the half. McDonald and Walton both finished the half with seven points and four rebounds.
• NKU held Manhattan to 6-of-25 (24.0 percent) shooting in the half. No player for the Jaspers had more than three points in the period.
• NKU shot 6-of-21 (28.6 percent) in the stanza and 3-of-9 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc.

 
SECOND HALF SUMMARY

• Back-to-back three-pointers by Walton and Sharp extended the Norse lead to 35-23 with 16:14 to play in the half.
• NKU went up by 15 points a few minutes later, but Manhattan used a 7-0 run to make the score 40-32 with 10:40 to play in the stanza.  
• The Norse responded to go ahead by 17 points at 56-39 with 6:30 to play.
• A 12-0 run by the Jaspers closed the gap to five points at 56-51 with 3:14 remaining.
• Manhattan would not get any closer, and NKU went on to win by a final score of 59-53.
• NKU shot well in the second half, converting 10-of-16 (62.5 percent) of its field goals, including a 7-of-10 (70 percent) performance from beyond the arc.
• The Jaspers went 12-of-27 (44.4 percent) from the floor and 4-of-8 (50.0 percent) on three-point attempts.

 
GAME NOTES

• NKU shot 16-of-37 (43.2 percent) on field goals and 10-of-19 (52.6 percent) on attempts from behind the arc.
• The Norse held Manhattan to 18-of-52 (34.6 percent) shooting, including 6-of-19 (33.3 percent) on three-pointers.
• NKU led for 37:40 in the game.

 
NEXT UP

• The Norse host Coastal Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 18 in the final game of the KEMI Northern Kentucky Basketball Classic. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at BB&T Arena, and the game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Ohio.