HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky takes on UIC in a key Horizon League men's basketball matchup Friday night at UIC Pavilion in Chicago. The contest has implications for the Horizon League regular-season championship, as NKU is tied with Wright State atop the league standings and UIC is just one game behind. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 8 p.m. (ET)/7 p.m. (CT).
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (20-8 Overall, 12-3 Horizon League)
University of Illinois at Chicago "UIC" Flames (17-12 Overall, 12-4 Horizon League)
Friday, Feb. 23 – 8:00 p.m. (ET)/7:00 p.m. (CT)
UIC Pavilion (8,000) in Chicago
TV: ESPN3
Radio: ESPN1530 (1530 AM) with Jim Kelch (Play-by-Play) and Steve Moeller (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Fast Break Points
• NKU secured its second-straight 20-win season with a 70-51 victory against Youngstown State Monday night.
• NKU remains tied with Wright State atop the League standings at 13-3, but the Raiders hold the head-to-head tie-breaker after defeating the Norse twice this season.
• NKU is 4-1 all-time against UIC, including 1-1 at UIC Pavilion. The Norse have won three in a row in the series.
• NKU is guaranteed to finish the season in the top three of the league standings regardless of the outcomes of its two games this weekend. However, NKU, WSU and UIC are battling for those spots.
• Dating back to the start of the 2016-17 season, and including the #HLMBB Championship, NKU has won 28 of its last 37 games (.757) against League opponents.
• Since navigating the transition period and earning active Division I status prior to the start of the 2016-17 season, NKU has posted a combined 44-19 record (.698).
• Northern Kentucky is 18th in the nation in 2-point field goal percent (56.7).
• NKU is averaging 16.6 assists per game, a mark that ranks 28th in the nation. It also only commits 12.3 turnovers an outing, which ranks 97th nationally. Combining those two marks results in an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.35, the 34th-best in the country.
• NKU forces the 79th-most turnovers per game in the nation (14.5) and allows teams to distribute just 11.3 assists per game.
• NKU's plus-13.0 scoring margin is the 14th best in the nation.
• NKU's 3-point field goal defense ranks 12th in the nation at 30.5 percent.
• Through games played Feb. 21, NKU sits 91st on KenPom.com, which tops the Horizon League.
• The Norse are 21st in the CollegeInsider.Com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll and receiving votes in the Mid-Major Madness Power Rankings.
• F Drew McDonald has been on an absolute tear in registering double-doubles. He has 13 in the last 18 games and 15 total on the year, 11th-most in the nation. The Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year leads NKU in scoring (17.1 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg).
• G Lavone Holland II is the only player in the Horizon League to average double digits in scoring (13.2 ppg) and at least four rebounds (4.3 rpg) and four assists (4.5 apg).
• F Carson Williams is converting 61.7 percent of his field-goal attempts (137-of-222). He is averaging 12.5 ppg.
• G Tyler Sharpe is averaging 9.5 ppg and is shooting 48 percent in League play. He has reached double figures in six of the last seven games, averaging 12.6 ppg on 51 percent shooting over that time.
• F Jordan Garnett does a little bit of everything for the Norse and finds a way to contribute every game. For example, against YSU he had 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.
 
Last Time Out
For the second time this season against Youngstown State, McDonald went off. The junior poured in 27 points and added 12 rebounds in Northern Kentucky's 70-51 win. While McDonald offered the offensive firepower, the entire Norse defense was suffocating, limiting the Penguins to 33 percent (20-of-60) shooting, including a paltry 18.5 percent (5-of-27) from three. Garnett chipped in 10 points, six boards and three assists, and Williams contributed 10 points, three boards and a pair of assists. McDonald averaged 26.5 points and 14 rebounds in two games against YSU this year.
 
Scouting UIC
UIC is arguably the hottest team in the Horizon League right now, as the Flames have won nine of their last 10 contests, including the last two versus Green Bay and Detroit Mercy. Dikembe Dixson, a preseason all-league first team honoree, paces UIC's offense at 14.1 ppg. Marcus Ottey is the only other Flame to average double figures (13.6 ppg), but four other players average at least 8.0 ppg. UIC boasts the second-best offense in league games, pouring in 78.6 ppg. NKU is third at 76.1. However, the Flames have the fifth-best scoring defense (73.8 ppg), while the Norse limit opponents to a league-leading 65.0 ppg.
 
Series Stuff
Northern Kentucky holds a 4-1 all-time record against UIC, with all five meetings coming as members of the Horizon League. NKU is 1-1 at UIC Pavilion and has won three in a row in the series, including an 86-51 win during the opening weekend of league play this year.
 
NKU exploded in the first half, leading 49-16 at intermission. McDonald notched a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double. Holland chimed in with 12 points, seven boards and five assists, and Mason Faulkner added 15 points.
 
League Title on the Line
The Horizon League regular-season championship is still at stake, and several scenarios are at play for the Norse to win their first title.
 
If NKU goes 2-0 ...

• it will share the title with Wright State if WSU also goes 2-0.
• it wins the title outright if WSU goes 1-1 or 0-2.

 
If NKU, goes 1-1 ...

• it will share the title with Wright State if WSU goes 1-1 and UIC goes either 1-1 or 0-2.
• it will share the title with Wright State and UIC if the Raiders go 1-1 and Flames go 2-0.