HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky men's basketball welcomes Green Bay to BB&T Arena for NKU's annual Homecoming game, with the weekend's alumni festivities also serving as the university's kick-off to its 50^th Anniversary celebration. A 7 p.m. start is scheduled for the contest, which will air locally on CW Cincinnati.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (18-7 Overall, 11-2 Horizon League)
University of Wisconsin Green Bay Phoenix (10-17 Overall, 5-9 Horizon League)
Saturday, Feb. 10 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
BB&T Arena (9,400) in Highland Heights, Ky.
TV: CW Cincinnati or ESPN3 (Blacked out in Cincinnati Market) with Brady Laber (Play-by-Play) and Brad Redford (Color)
Radio: FOXSports1360 (1360 AM) with Jim Kelch (Play-by-Play) and Steve Moeller (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
Tickets: Ticketmaster
 
How to Watch
The CW Cincinnati broadcasts on channel 12.2 and, with the use of an antenna, can be viewed by every home in the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati area. The CW Cincinnati is available on Spectrum Cable (channel 20 in OH / 25 in KY), Cincinnati Bell Fi-Optics (17) and DirecTV (25).
 
NBC Sports Chicago is also carrying the game. Outside the Cincinnati and Chicago markets, the game will be available on ESPN3.
 
Fast Break Points
• NKU used suffocating defense to defeat Milwaukee, 54-52, on Thursday night. The Norse D came up with a big stop at the end of the game to secure the win.
• The Norse are tied for first in the Horizon League standings with Wright State at 11-2.
• NKU is riding a four-game winning streak, its third of the season.
• Dating back to the start of the 2016-17 season, and including the #HLMBB Championship, NKU has won 26 of its last 34 games (.765) 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 42-18 record (.700).
• NKU is 2-3 all-time versus Green Bay, which includes a 77-65 road win earlier this season. After dropping the first three games in the series, Northern Kentucky has won the last two.
• Northern Kentucky is 20th in the nation in 2-point field goal percent (57.0).
• NKU is averaging 17.0 assists per game, a mark that ranks 25th in the nation. It also only commits 12.2 turnovers an outing, which ranks 87th nationally. Combining those two marks results in an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.39, the 24th-best in the country.
• NKU forces the 53rd-most turnovers per game in the nation (15.2) and allows teams to distribute just 11.2 assists per game.
• NKU is 30th in the country in steals (7.8 spg), registering double-digit steals seven times this year.
• NKU's 3-point field goal defense ranks 14th in the nation at 30.7 percent.
• Through games played Feb. 8, NKU sits 82nd on KenPom.com, which is tops in the Horizon League.
• The Norse are 21st in the CollegeInsider.Com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll and are receiving votes in the Mid-Major Madness Power Rankings.
• F Drew McDonald is the reigning Horizon League Player of the Week after a dominating 26-point, 16-rebound effort at YSU and 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists at CSU.
• McDonald has been on an absolute tear in registering double-doubles. He has 10 in the last 15 games and 12 total on the year, 17th-most in the nation. The Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year leads NKU in scoring (17.1 ppg) and rebounding (9.0 rpg).
• G Lavone Holland II runs the show for the Norse. He averages 13.2 points, 4.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
• F Carson Williams is converting 62.1 percent of his field-goal attempts (128-of-206), a mark that ranks 14th in the country. He is averaging 13.0 ppg.
• G Tyler Sharpe is averaging 8.7 ppg and is shooting 51 percent in League play, while leading NKU - one of the nation's highest-ranked teams in steals - with 16 thefts during that time.
• G Mason Faulkner has reached double figures in three of the last five games.
 
Last Time Out
McDonald and Sharpe combined for 28 points and the duo was suffocating on Milwaukee's final possession, which spanned the last 29.9 seconds of the contest, in NKU's 54-52 victory Thursday night. Sharpe defended Jeremiah Bell for the first 26 seconds, forcing the Panthers' guard to take a toughly contested 3-point attempt with three seconds left. UWM's Bryce Barnes collected the offensive rebound, but his attempt was stuffed by McDonald to preserve NKU's win.
 
McDonald posted his 12th double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sharpe added 12 points behind 4-of-8 shooting. The Norse defense limited the Panthers to 36 percent (21-of-59) shooting, while NKU made 41 percent (21-of-51) from the floor.
 
Scouting Green Bay
Green Bay took Wright State, which is tied with NKU atop the Horizon League standings, to the wire on Thursday night, but ultimately succumbed to the Raiders, 68-64. Four Phoenix accounted for 60 of the team's 64 points against the Raiders. Sandy Cohen III scored 21 and David Jesperson added 18. Khalil Small tallied 11 and Kameron Hankerson chipped in 10. Sukhjot Bains was the only other Green Bay player to score, posting four.
 
Green Bay is 10-17 overall and 5-9 in the League standings. Since falling to NKU on Jan. 20, the Phoenix have gone 2-2. Khalil Small's 17.5 ppg paces a Phoenix squad that averages 73.9 per game. Opponents score 73.1 ppg against Green Bay.
 
Series Stuff
The Norse are 2-3 all-time versus Green Bay, including a 1-1 mark at BB&T Arena. However, NKU has won the last two meetings in the series. Last year, Northern Kentucky rallied for a 69-67 win in the Thursday night game during Homecoming week. The Norse then picked up their first victory at Green Bay when the two teams met earlier this season. Lavone Holland II scored 16 points to lead NKU to the 77-65 victory. Drew McDonald chimed in with 15 points, Carson Williams added 14 and Jordan Garnett knocked down 4-of-5 from three en route to 12 points.
 
NKU Turning The Big 5-0
Homecoming weekend serves as the kickoff for a year-long celebration of NKU's 50th Anniversary. Events throughout the year will celebrate NKU's historic past and unstoppable future, beginning with the annual Alumni Awards on Friday night and culminating in a 50th Anniversary Gala in the fall. For more information on the anniversary, visit http://NKU.edu/50.