HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky men's basketball team will square off in a pair of games in Cleveland against the Horizon League-leading Cleveland State Vikings. Games will be played at 7 p.m. on both Friday, Jan. 8 and Saturday, Jan. 9.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (5-4 Overall, 3-1 Horizon League)
Cleveland State University Vikings (6-3 Overall, 6-0 Horizon League)
 
Game 1
Friday, Jan. 8 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Cleveland, Ohio | Wolstein Center (13,610)
TV: ESPN+ with Al Pawlowski (PxP) and Pat Vuyancih (Color)
Radio: ESPN1530 with Jim Kelch (PxP) and Rick Broering (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Game 2
Saturday, Jan. 9 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Cleveland, Ohio | Wolstein Center (13,610)
TV: ESPN+ with Al Pawlowski (PxP) and Pat Vuyancih (Color)
Radio: 55KRC with Jim Kelch (PxP) and Rick Broering (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Fast Break Points 
• NKU claimed a series sweep over PFW at BB&T Arena last weekend, winning 75-68 and 70-68.
• NKU, which is currently fourth in the Horizon League standings at 3-1, plays at Cleveland State, a team that sits atop the standings at 6-0.
• NKU is 7-4 all-time against the Vikings, winning seven of the last nine meetings. The Norse have traditionally played well in Cleveland, owning a 4-1 road record in the series
• According to KenPom, NKU ranks 14th in the country in offensive rebound percentage (37.7). The Norse also average 13.9 offensive rebounds per game, good for the 26th-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 199-124.
• NKU has been the most dominant team in the Horizon League over the last four seasons, amassing a 64-21 (.753) 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 100-43 (.699), 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 was named the #HLMBB Freshman of the Week for the third time this year after exploding for back-to-back 22-point games against PFW last weekend.
• Warrick is second on the team in scoring on the season at 13.4 ppg, but that number swells to a team-best 17.5 ppg against Horizon League opposition.
• G Trevon Faulkner has been as advertised to start the season, impacting the game in all facets with averages of 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals.
• In the last three games, Warrick and Faulkner have combined to post four 20-point scoring performances (two each).
• F Adrian Nelson ranks sixth in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (4.44) and ranks 12th in total rebounds per game (10.8), while ranking 30th in double-doubles (3).
• F David Böhm has started each of the last five 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 8.4 ppg on the season.
• G Trey Robinson has also been impressive for the Norse, averaging 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He is coming off of a 17-point, seven-rebound, three-assist showing against Purdue Fort Wayne.
• G Bryson Langdon has been a steady presence for the Norse, averaging 9.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
 
Last Time Out
NKU swept a pair against PFW its last time out. Warrick (22) and Faulkner (21) both tallied 20-point performances to help Northern Kentucky rally for a 75-68 win on Friday. The Mastodons threw the first punch early in the game, jumping out to an 18-4 lead just four minutes into the game, but the Norse rallied and trailed by just six at halftime. NKU then used an 11-2 run beginning at the 5:35 mark in the second half to amass a seven-point lead against the Mastodons, creating a 69-62 spread with 2:20 left to play. NKU maintained the lead until the final buzzer.
 
Warrick delivered a second dazzling 22-point performance on Saturday that included the game-winning shot with just over two seconds remaining. PFW led by 11, 42-31, with 16 minutes remaining, but NKU completed the comeback with two freshmen leading the charge as Robinson tallied 17 points, seven boards and three assists. Robinson scored eight points in a 12-2 Norse run to get back into the game before Warrick's late-game heroics sealed a 70-68 victory.
 
Scouting Cleveland State
Currently, Cleveland State is a far cry from the team that started 0-3 and gave up an NCAA Division I record 40-0 run against Ohio. After taking Ohio State to the wire in Columbus, the Vikings have now reeled off six-straight wins to lead the Horizon League. CSU has been scintillating in league play, averaging 74.0 ppg while allowing just 65.8. Three players are averaging double figures, D'Moi Hodge (16.8), Torrey Patton (14.7) and Tre Gomillion (12.5). In league play, the Vikings have been efficient on offense with 50.5 percent shooting and 34 percent 3-point shooting, while stingy on defense, allowing 41 percent shooting and 31 percent from 3-point range.
 
Series Stuff
The series tally sits at 7-4 in favor of the Norse, who have won seven of the last nine against the Vikings.  NKU is also 4-1 all-time in Cleveland, claiming road victories in each of the last four visits.