HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men's basketball team defeated Oakland 79-64 on Saturday evening in front of a regular-season record crowd of 6,792 at BB&T Arena. The Norse improve to 20-6 overall and 10-3 in the Horizon League. Oakland drops to 11-15 on the season and 7-6 in league play.
 
STATS LEADERS

• Drew McDonald notched his 12^th double-double of the season with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
• Jalen Tate added 19 points, four rebounds and six assists.
• Dantez Walton chipped in 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
• Tyler Sharpe had 11 points, two rebounds, three assists and a steal.
• Zaynah Robinson recorded seven points, five rebounds and two assists.
• Trevon Faulkner contributed six points, a rebound, an assist, a steal and a block.

 
TURNING POINT

• NKU led 52-47 with 10:57 to play in the game. The Norse went on a 9-0 run to extend their lead to 61-47 with 7:52 to play. NKU led by at least nine points the rest of the way.

 
 
FIRST HALF SUMMARY

• The first half was tightly-contested, as it featured five ties and four lead changes.
• Oakland used a 7-0 run late in the half to take a 36-32 lead into halftime.
• McDonald led all scorers in the half with 12 points, and he also added six rebounds.
• NKU shot 12-of-25 (48.0 percent) in the half, while Oakland went 14-of-34 (41.2 percent) from the floor.
• Despite the Norse having a 19-15 rebounding advantage, Oakland had a 10-0 advantage in second-chance points.
• The Golden Grizzlies also forced 12 NKU turnovers, which led to a 13-2 advantage in points off of turnovers for Oakland.

 
SECOND HALF SUMMARY

• McDonald's three-pointer with 16:39 to play gave the Norse a 42-40 lead. The three-pointer was part of a 9-0 run which helped NKU extend its advantage to 46-40.
• Later in the half, the Norse put together another 9-0 run to go ahead 61-47.
• The Norse outscored Oakland 47-28 in the half to get the 79-64 win.
• NKU shot 17-of-36 (47.2 percent) from the floor.
• Oakland went 9-of-24 (37.5 percent) on field goals, including an 0-for-6 effort from beyond the arc.
• The Norse had a 25-4 advantage in fast-break points in the half.
• NKU turned the ball over just twice during the half.

 
GAME NOTES

• Tonight's attendance of 6,792 is a regular-season record for the Norse.
• NKU improves to 15-0 at BB&T Arena this season and is riding a 19-game home win streak dating back to last season.
• McDonald has not gone more than three games without a double-double since Dec. 10, 2017. He now ranks fourth at NKU in career points with 1,926. Former NKU player Richard Derkson is in third with 1,927 points.
• NKU finished the game with a 30-6 advantage in fast-break points.
• The Norse shot 29-of-61 (47.5 percent) from the floor in the game.
• Oakland went 23-of-58 (39.7 percent) on field goals and just 4-of-20 (20 percent) from three-point range.

 
 
NEXT UP

• NKU travels to Wright State for a primetime matchup on Friday, Feb. 15, with first place in the Horizon League on the line. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPNU.