DETROIT – Six players scored in double figures, as the Northern Kentucky University men's basketball team rolled past Detroit Mercy on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 95-73. The Norse improve to 13-4 and 3-1 in the Horizon League. Detroit Mercy falls to 6-10 overall and 3-1 in league play.
 
STATS LEADERS

• Drew McDonald led the Norse with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
• Tyler Sharpe added 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-11 from behind the arc.
• Dantez Walton chipped in 13 points, three assists and three steals.
• Zaynah Robinson had 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-2 from three-point range. He also added four assists.
• Jalen Tate had a nice all-around game with 11 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and three blocks.
• Trevon Faulkner reached double figures with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

 
TURNING POINT

• A 9-0 run in the second half gave the Norse a 20-point lead with 15:34 to play and put the game out of reach.

 
FIRST HALF SUMMARY

• After trailing 11-8 early in the game, the Norse went on a 7-0 run to take a 15-11 lead with 11:12 to play. Sharpe started the run with a three-pointer, Adrian Nelson followed with a two-handed slam, and Robinson added a layup.
• Later in the half with the score tied 34-34, NKU went on another 7-0 run to go ahead 41-34. Tate had two free throws during the run, and McDonald scored five-straight points.
• The Norse took a 43-36 lead into halftime.
• McDonald had 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting, and Tate added nine points, four rebounds and four assists.
• NKU shot a blistering 18-of-28 (64.3 percent) from the floor and 4-of-9 (44.4 percent) on three-pointers.
• The Norse held Detroit Mercy to 13-of-33 (39.4 percent) on field goals during the half.
• NKU had a 24-4 advantage in points in the paint.

 
SECOND HALF SUMMARY

• Robinson and Sharpe hit three-pointers early in the half to extend the Norse lead to 49-36.
• The Norse went on a 9-0 run to go ahead 62-42 with 15:34 to play. Sharpe scored six-straight points in the run, and Walton capped it off with a three-pointer.
• NKU led by as much as 28 points and went on to win by a final score of 95-73.
• The Norse shot 18-of-35 (51.4 percent) in the half, including 8-of-18 (44.4 percent) on three pointers.
• NKU held Detroit Mercy to 2-of-9 (22.2 percent) shooting on three-point attempts.

 
GAME NOTES

• The Norse finished the game shooting 36-of-63 (57.1 percent) from the floor and 12-of-27 (44.4 percent) on three-pointers.
• Detroit Mercy finished 26-of-61 (42.6 percent) on field goals and 8-of-23 (34.8 percent) on attempts from behind the arc.
• NKU had a 42-18 advantage in points in the paint.
• The Norse also had 23 assists, compared to nine for the Titans. The 23 assists tie NKU's season high, which was initially established in Thursday night's game at Oakland.

 
NEXT UP

• The Norse host Wright State on Friday, Jan. 11 in a nationally televised contest. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at BB&T Arena, and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.