HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky men's basketball team claimed a 72-68 victory over UIC on Friday night in a game that proved to be a battle late in the competition. NKU improves to 8-8 on the season (6-5 Horizon League), while UIC shifts to 8-6 overall (5-4 Horizon League).  
 
STATS LEADERS 

• Trevon Faulkner exploded in the first half and claimed his first career double-double through just the first 20 minutes of play, tallying 12 points and 10 rebounds. Faulkner nailed a three-quarter court shot as time expired in the first half to lift himself over the 10-point benchmark to claim the feat. His night ended with 25 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, besting his former nine.
• Marques Warrick turned his game to another notch in the second half, scoring 16 in the stanza before finishing with 20 points on 7-of-14 (50 percent) shooting. He went 5-of-5 (100 percent) from the charity stripe, greatly assisting the Norse late in the contest.
• Bryson Langdon was the third Norse to nab a double-digit performance, claiming 13 points of his own. He accompanied his points with four assists and two steals.

 
TURNING POINT 

• NKU led majority of the game, but UIC tightened the scoreboard late in the second half. With six seconds to go in the competition, Faulkner hit two free throws to give the Norse the four-point advantage needed to close out their 72-68 win.

FIRST HALF SUMMARY 

• Warrick kicked off the competition with back-to-back buckets. His second scoring effort included an acrobatic layup that featured his athleticism, giving the Norse a quick 4-0 lead.
• The Norse later capitalized on a 9-0 run that spanned across four minutes (7:47-3:47) in the first half to move to a 24-15 lead. The run ended with a Faulkner steal underneath the Flame's goal, which led to an and-one.
• Northern Kentucky went into the locker room with high spirits due to Faulkner draining a three-quarter court shot as time expired for the first half. The Norse held a 32-23 with the final 20 minutes left to play.
• Both teams attempted 29 shots from the field, but the Norse shot at a 38 percent clip (11-for-29) while the Flames converted at a 28 percent rate (8-for-29). UIC claimed the rebounding battle, 21-18.

 
SECOND HALF SUMMARY 

• The opposition in BB&T Arena jumped out on a run of their own with a 13-2 sprint starting at the 17:42 mark in the second half. The score tightened up, 40-36, but the Norse maintained the advantage.
• NKU answered the call and retaliated with a 7-0 run immediately after the UIC spurt. Warrick provided the Norse with the final three points of the run to go ahead by 11 due to an old-fashioned three-point play.

• UIC was able to string together a couple of three-balls and cut its deficit to two points, but Warrick and Faulkner rose to the occasion. The duo scored the final 11 points for NKU with 1:58 on the clock.
• Six seconds remained on the clock with the Norse up by two and Faulkner at the line. Faulkner hit both free throws to seal the win, 72-68.
• Both teams shot better in the second frame. NKU made 46 percent (13-of-28) and UIC hit 47 percent (15-of-32).

 
GAME NOTES 

• Faulkner and Warrick are no strangers to the 20-point clip achievement being nabbed in the same competition. The pair of Norse each passed the 20-point threshold on Jan. 1 in a home matchup against Purdue Fort Wayne with Warrick and Faulkner posting 22 and 21 points, respectively.
• The Norse move to 3-0 when the game is decided by four points or less, throwing it back to its first win of the season against Ball State on Nov. 25 that ended in a 74-73 decision and a Jan. 2 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne, 70-68.
• Faulkner's double-double is the first recorded by a Norse since Nelson's 12 point, 11 rebound performance on Dec. 6, 2020, when NKU was defeated by Chattanooga, 79-72. It was Nelson's third-straight double-double.
• Warrick has now registered six 20-point performances on the season, all coming against Horizon League opposition.
• The Norse dominated the paint, outscoring the Flames 34-16.
• Northern Kentucky also committed a season-low six turnovers, resulting in an 18-8 advantage in points scored off of miscues.

 
UP NEXT 
Northern Kentucky and UIC will tip it up again in BB&T Arena tomorrow, Jan. 30, in a 5 p.m. contest. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and on radio at FoxSports1360.