HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Following a stretch of four road games in its last five outings, the Northern Kentucky men's basketball returns to the friendly confines of BB&T Arena for a Sunday night tilt against Miami (Ohio). Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Highland Heights.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (8-3 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
Miami University RedHawks (6-4 Overall, 0-0 MAC)
Sunday, Dec. 16 – 7 p.m. (ET)
TV: FOX Sports Ohio* with Brady Laber (PxP) and Brad Redford (Color)
Radio: 55KRC with Jim Kelch (PxP) and Steve Moeller (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
* Please use the Fox Sports Ohio Channel Finder to determine which channel the game is on in your market and with your provider.
 
Tickets and Promotions
Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster. The first 1,500 fans will receive replica banners for NKU's 2018 Horizon League Regular-Season Championship. At halftime, Northern Kentucky will host a Teddy Bear Toss, where fans can bring a new teddy bear to throw on the court with a chance to win one of several prizes, including a 50-inch smart TV. The bears will be donated to St. Elizabeth's Hospital's emergency room. NKU students who show their student ID will receive a free ticket for a guest in addition to their regular free admission.
 
Fast Break Points
• NKU matches its best start to the season through 11 games in the Division I era at 8-3. The 2016-17 team also went 8-3 through its first 11 contests.
• The Norse will play Miami (Ohio) for just the second time in program history. The Norse defeated the RedHawks on Nov. 20, 2016, by a score of 79-70.
• NKU is 6-0 at BB&T Arena this season and is 29-4 at home since the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
• NKU is averaging 16.9 assists per game, No. 36 in the nation. The Norse also rank 11^th in the country in total assists with 186.
• NKU is letting it fly from 3-point range, ranking 19th in attempts (291) and 15th in made treys (106). The Norse are making 9.6 threes per game, which are the 36th-most nationally.
• NKU's 82 total steals are the 36th-most in the NCAA.
• Foes are also converting just 37.7 percent of their shots versus NKU, 17th-best nationally. The Norse are also 55th in scoring defense, allowing teams to post just 65.4 points per game.
• In the team's wins this season, the Norse are averaging 85.6 points per game and giving up just 62.4 points per contest.
• In the first half of games, NKU is only allowing opponents to score an average of 26.6 points. Opponents post on average 35.1 second-half points.
• The Norse were picked to finish second in the Horizon League preseason poll, receiving 356 points and 10 first-place votes. Wright State was picked first with 377 points.
• NKU is coming off a 22-10 campaign in which it won the Horizon League regular-season title and played in the NIT.
• Since the start of the 2016-17 season, NKU is a combined 54-24, has won the Horizon League regular season (2018) and league tourney (2017), and has played in the NCAA Tournament (2017) and NIT (2018).
• F Drew McDonald leads four Norse averaging double digits on the year at 18.4 points. He also leads NKU at 9.3 rebounds per game (41st in nation). His four double-doubles rank 27th in the country and he is one of just 15 players, and one of only three forwards, to register a triple-double so far this year.
• McDonald is now NKU's all-time leading rebounder with 864 rebounds. He broke LaRon Moore's record of 859 with six rebounds in the game against Eastern Kentucky. Moore held the record for more than 20 years.
• McDonald is one of five active players in Division I basketball with at least 1,600 career points (1,633) and 800 career boards (864).
• G Tyler Sharpe is second on the team in scoring, pouring in 14.1 points per game. However, over the last six games the junior guard has upped that averaged to 17.3 ppg on the strength of 48.9 percent (22-of-45) shooting from 3-point range.
• Sharpe is also getting it done on the defensive end, as his 21 steals on the season are the 39th-most in the country.
• F Dantez Walton is averaging 11.8 points and 6.1 rebounds. He's shooting 48.0 percent (48-of-100) from the floor and 40.3 percent (25-of-62) from three.
• G Zaynah Robinson is running the show for the Norse and has a team-best 3.6 assists per game. He is also second on the team in steals, registering 15 on the year.
• G Jalen Tate is averaging 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game this year. He's registered 28 assists to only 12 turnovers and is making 51.6 percent (32-of-62) of his shots.
 
Last Time Out
EKU's Nick Mayo hit a shot with 0.4 seconds left to lift the Colonels to a 76-74 win over the Norse. NKU had three players in double figures. McDonald led the way with 23 points, while Sharpe and Robinson added 18 and 14, respectively. Chris Vogt chipped in six points and a career-high 12 rebounds in the game. McDonald's second rebound of the game, which came at 17:36 of the first half, was his 860th rebound at NKU, making him Northern Kentucky's all-time leader. He now has 864 career boards.
 
Scouting Miami
Miami enters the contest at 6-4 overall. The RedHawks are on a three-game winning streak with victories over Wilberforce, Wright State, and Purdue Fort Wayne. Nike Sibande leads the team with 16.7 points per game. Dalonte Brown averages 15.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest. Bam Bowman is also averaging double figures with 10.0 points per game. As a team, the RedHawks average 77.7 points and give up an average of 70.4 points.
 
Series Stuff
NKU won the only meeting between the schools on Nov. 20, 2016. The Norse came away with a 79-70 victory in Oxford, Ohio. Lavone Holland II led the Norse with 25 points, and Drew McDonald just missed out on a double-double with 23 points and nine rebounds.
 
Coaches Show
Dickmann's Sports Café, located on Orphanage Road in Fort Wright, Kentucky, will host the kick-off for the Norse Coaches Show featuring men's basketball head coach John Brannen and women's basketball head coach Camryn Whitaker on Monday, Dec. 17. Dickmann's, which is also official watch party location for all Norse athletics, is hosting the Norse happy hour from 5-7 p.m., with a free wing buffet from 5-6 p.m. The coaches show will air from 7-8 p.m. on 55KRC.