HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Horizon League newcomer Purdue Fort Wayne heads to Highland Heights and BB&T Arena for a matchup against Northern Kentucky this weekend. Both games will be played at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 1 and Saturday, Jan. 2.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (3-4 Overall, 1-1 Horizon League)
Purdue University Fort Wayne Mastodons (2-3 Overall, 1-3 Horizon League)
 
Game 1
Friday, Jan. 1 – 6:00 p.m. (ET)
Highland Heights, Ky. | BB&T Arena (8,427)
TV: ESPN3 with Brady Laber (PxP) and Brad Redford (Color)
Radio: FOXSports1360 with Jim Kelch (PxP) and Rick Broering (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Game 2
Saturday, Jan. 2 – 6:00 p.m. (ET)
Highland Heights, Ky. | BB&T Arena (8,427)
TV: ESPN3 with Brady Laber (PxP) and Brad Redford (Color)
Radio: FOXSports1360 with Jim Kelch (PxP) and Rick Broering (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Fast Break Points 
• NKU opened Horizon League action with a split against Youngstown State, winning 79-64 in game one before falling 70-60 in game two.
• NKU resumes the Horizon League slate with a two-game set against PFW to ring in the new year.
• NKU is 24-12 all-time against PFW, winning the last 14 games of the series as well.
• According to KenPom, NKU ranks 16th in the country in offensive rebound percentage (37.7). The Norse also average 14.7 offensive rebounds per game, good for the 12th-best average in the country.
• NKU is coming off a 23-9 campaign in which it finished second in the Horizon League regular season at 13-5 and won the 2020 Horizon League Tournament Championship.
• NKU has posted four-straight 20-win seasons for just the second time in program history, joining the 1994-95 through 1997-98 teams as the only Norse squads to do so.
• NKU is in the second year of the Darrin Horn era, as the Kentucky native is just the sixth head coach in the 50th season of the program. In his 11th year as a head coach, Horn has a career record of 197-124
• NKU has been the most dominant team in the Horizon League over the last four seasons, amassing a 62-21 (.747) mark against league foes while winning five of the combined eight league championships (two regular season and three tournament).
• Since the start of the 2016-17 season, NKU is a combined 98-43 (.695), has won the Horizon League regular season twice ('18, '19) and league tourney thrice ('17, '19, '20), and has qualified for either the NCAA Tournament ('17, '19, '20) or NIT ('18) every year. No other team in DI history has registered this level of accomplishments in its first four years of active status.
• G Trevon Faulkner has been as advertised to start the season, impacting the game in all facets with averages of 16.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.1 steals.
• With his 20-point outing against Youngstown State on Sunday, he has now reached the 20-point mark in two of the team's last three games.
• F Adrian Nelson opened the season with three-consecutive double-doubles, becoming the first Norse to do so since Drew McDonald had four-straight between Dec. 16-30, 2018.
• Nelson leads the nation in offensive rebounds per game (5.29) and ranks fifth in total rebounds per game (12.0), while ranking 20th in double-doubles (3).
• The junior is nearly averaging a double-double at 8.4 points and 12.0 rebounds per game.
• F David Böhm has started each of the last three games for the Norse, averaging 10.7 ppg in the three starts. Böhm was named #HLMBB Freshman of the Week on Dec. 14 and is averaging 8.9 ppg on the season.
• G Marques Warrick was named the #HLMBB Freshman of the Week in each of the first two weeks of the season. He has started five of the team's seven games and is averaging 11.0 ppg and 3.1 rpg on the year.
• G Trey Robinson has also been impressive for the Norse, averaging 6.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
• G Bryson Langdon has been a steady presence for the Norse, averaging 9.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
 
Last Time Out
NKU squared off against Youngstown State last weekend, going 1-1 in the series. The Norse defeated the Penguins, 79-64, in the opener thanks to 18-point offensive explosions from both Adham Eleeda, who made 6-of-7 shots from three, and Warrick, who converted 7-of-9 shots from the floor. Langdon added 12 points, Faulkner chipped in 11 points, and Nelson snagged 10 boards. NKU shot 55 percent for the game, while holding YSU to just 35 percent from the floor and 17 percent from three.
 
Northern Kentucky led by two, 27-25, at the half of game two, but allowed Youngstown State to score nine-unanswered points midway through the second half and could not overcome the deficit in a 70-60 setback. Faulkner poured in 20 points for NKU, while Nelson corralled 12 caroms. However, YSU hit 17-of-22 free throws compared to just 8-of-9 from NKU, which largely fueled the difference.
 
Scouting Purdue Fort Wayne
Horizon League newcomer Purdue Fort Wayne is 2-3 overall and 1-3 in league play after splitting a pair of games against fellow newcomer Robert Morris Last weekend. The Mastodons have had nine games either canceled or postponed due to COVID, but their league opening series against IUPUI was rearranged and they faced Cleveland State instead. PFW has yet to hit the road this year, with all five games being played at home. Jarred Godfrey leads the team in scoring and rebounding at 18.6 ppg and 4.4 rpg, respectively. In its four league games, PFW is surrendering 84.0 ppg while scoring at a 79.0 ppg clip.
 
Series Stuff
Northern Kentucky is 24-12 all-time versus Purdue Fort Wayne, and is riding a 14-game winning streak that dates back to Feb. 11, 1995. However, the teams last met nearly 20 years ago (Feb. 10, 2001). NKU is also 13-5 in the series when games are played in Highland Heights, Kentucky.