HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Five players scored in double figures, as the Northern Kentucky University men's basketball team rolled past Detroit Mercy, 97-65, on Thursday evening. NKU improves to 19-6 on the year and 9-3 in the Horizon League. Detroit Mercy falls to 9-15 overall and 6-6 in Horizon League play.
 
STATS LEADERS

• Drew McDonald led the Norse with 20 points going 8-of-9 (88.9 percent) from the field and 4-of-4 from behind the arc. He also tacked on eight rebounds and five assists in just 21 minutes of action
• Trevon Faulkner had a career-high in points with 12 on 6-of-8 (75 percent) shooting from the floor. He also added three assists and two rebounds.
• Jalen Tate tallied 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
• Bryant Mocaby also had a career-high with 11 points in six minutes of play. He went 3-of-6 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
• Tyler Sharpe also scored double figures with 10 points. He added six assists, two steals, and a block.
• Chris Vogt led all players in rebounds with nine. He also contributed eight points for the Norse.
• Adrian Nelson played a part for the Norse with eight points, five rebounds, and two assists.
• Paul Djoko had a career high in assists with seven.

 
TURNING POINT

• After the Norse went on a 9-0 run to take a 24-14 lead with 9:04 to play in the first half, the team continued to build its lead and were up by 20 points heading into halftime.

 
 
FIRST HALF SUMMARY

• In the first possession of the game, McDonald grabbed a board to secure his 1,000th career rebound. He's just the ninth active player in DI basketball and only the sixth in the 40-year history of the Horizon League to reach the milestone.
• Detroit Mercy started the game on a 5-0 run but NKU quickly surpassed it with a 7-0 run for themselves.
• The Norse used a 9-0 run to take the lead 24-14 with 9:04 to play in the first half.
• NKU outscored Detroit 34-17 in the last 10:36 of the half.
• The Norse ended the half with back-to-back-to-back threes from McDonald.
• NKU had a 26-8 advantage in points in the paint.
• The Norse also outscored the Titans in fast break points, 15-4.
• McDonald scored 18 points in the half.

 
SECOND HALF SUMMARY

• The Norse started the half with an 8-0 run.
• NKU led by as much as 35 points and went on to win by a final score of 97-65.
• The Norse shot 16-of-30 (53.3 percent) from the field and held UDM to 12-of-26 (46.2 percent).
• NKU converted 5-of-12 (41.7 percent) from the three-point line and held UDM to 1-of-7 (14.3 percent).
• Mocaby had 11 points in the last six minutes.

 
GAME NOTES

• The win is NKU's 18^th-straight at BB&T Arena, including a 14-0 mark this season.
• NKU shot 37-of-66 (56.1 percent) from the floor while holding UDM to 25-of-59 (42.4 percent). From three-point range, the Norse made 12-of-27 (44.4 percent) and held the Titans to 6-of-23 (26.1 percent).
• The Norse won the rebounding battle, 42-26, and outscored the Titans in points in the paint, 48-22.
• NKU had 25 fast-break points compared to UDM 12.
• NKU led in bench points 39-24.
• The Norse had 33 assists on the night which was just three short of the school record.

 
NEXT UP

• NKU returns home on Saturday, February 9^th to face Oakland. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Northern Kentucky will celebrate Homecoming throughout the night, with the Royalty Court being announced at halftime.