HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Coming off a road trip that saw Northern Kentucky nab a pair of victories, the Norse return home for contests against UIC on Jan. 29 and 30. Game times are slated for 6 and 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night, respectively.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (7-8 Overall, 5-5 Horizon League)
Robert Morris University Colonials (8-5 Overall, 5-3 Horizon League)
 
Game 1
Friday, Jan. 29 – 6:00 p.m. (ET)
Highland Heights, Ky. | BB&T Arena (8,427)
TV: ESPN+ with Brady Laber  (PxP) and Brad Redford (Color)
Radio: ESPN1530 with Jim Kelch (PxP) and Rick Broering (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Game 2
Saturday, Jan. 30 – 5:00 p.m. (ET)
Highland Heights, Ky. | BB&T Arena (8,427)
TV: ESPN+ 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 picked up its first and second road wins of the season with a pair of dramatic wins at Robert Morris last weekend.
• NKU overcame a 17-point deficit in game two, before winning 79-74 in overtime.
• In game one's 81-76 win, NKU shot a blistering 72 percent (18-of-25) in the second half.
• NKU hosts UIC for two games at BB&T Arena on Jan. 29-30.
• NKU is 4-1 at home and leads the all-time series with UIC, 8-3.
• According to KenPom, NKU ranks 13th in the country in offensive rebound percentage (36.8). The Norse also average 12.8 offensive rebounds per game, good for the 28th-best average in the country.
• In the last five years, NKU has been incredibly tough at BB&T Arena, boasting a 57-12 (.826) record at home since 2016-17.
• 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.
• In Friday's game at RMU, Darrin Horn picked up his 200th career win as a head coach.
• NKU has been one of the most dominant teams in the Horizon League over the last four seasons, amassing a 66-25 (.725) 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 102-47 (.685), 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 Marques Warrick has won five Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors and is second on the team in scoring on the season at 14.6 ppg.
• Warrick has been in a groove of late, averaging 17.8 ppg over the last eight games.
• G Trevon Faulkner has been as advertised to start the season, impacting the game in all facets with averages of 16.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals.
• Faulkner is riding a streak of 16-straight games scoring in double-figures.
• F Adrian Nelson ranks 17th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (3.6) and 24th in total rebounds per game (9.7).
• In the last six games, Nelson has averaged 9.7 ppg while shooting an incredible 89 percent (25-of-28).
• F David Böhm has started each of the last nine games for the Norse. Böhm was named #HLMBB Freshman of the Week on Dec. 14 and is averaging 8.1 ppg on the season.
• G Paul Djoko and G Jake Evans came off the bench to help spark NKU to erase its 17-point deficit at RMU and win in OT. The duo combined for six points, nine rebounds, four assists, six steals and two blocks.
• W Adham Eleeda tallied double figures for the third time this year with 12 points on Saturday.
• G Bryson Langdon has been a steady presence for NKU, averaging 8.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
 
Last Time Out
NKU had quite a weekend at Robert Morris, coming from behind in both games to win while providing Horn with his 200th win on Friday. In that game on Friday, the Norse rode a net-scorching 72 percent (18-of-25) shooting in the second half to an 81-76 win. Warrick dazzled with 20 points to lead the Norse.
 
After RMU hit its first nine shots from the field en route to building a 24-7 lead just eight minutes into the contest, NKU settled and whittled the halftime deficit to just four. The Norse eventually forced overtime, where Faulkner went on a personal 9-1 run to open OT and send NKU to a 79-74 triumph. Faulkner led five Norse in double figures with 18 points.
 
Scouting UIC
UIC enters as one of the top teams in the Horizon League, sitting in third at 5-3 in league play, and is 8-5 overall. The Flames have five players averaging double figures, led by Teyvion Kirk at 14.8 ppg. Rob Howard contributes 11.9, while Michael Diggins and Braelen Bridges add 11.6 and 10.9, respectively. RayQuawndis Mitchell is averaging 11.7 ppg, but has not played since Dec. 20. Against league opposition, both Jamie Ahale (11.3) and Maurice Commander (12.0) also average double digits. UIC's offense and defense are almost identical, as it scores at a 70.9 ppg clip and gives up 71.0 ppg.
 
Series Stuff
The Norse lead the series 8-3, including a 4-1 mark at BB&T Arena. Last season, the two teams split the regular season with the road team earning big wins as NKU won 68-52 in Chicago and UIC won 73-43 in Highland Heights. Northern Kentucky won the rubber match, which was the Horizon League Tournament Championship game, 71-62.