HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky travels to Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Dec. 18 for a 7 p.m. matchup at McBrayer Arena in Richmond, Kentucky.
Game Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (4-5 Overall, 0-2 Horizon League)
Eastern Kentucky Colonels (6-6 Overall, 0-0 ASUN)
Saturday, Dec. 18 – 7 p.m. (ET)
Richmond, Ky. | McBrayer Arena (6,500)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: FOXSports1360
Stats: Live Stats
Digital Program:
NKU Men's Basketball Weekly – Week 6
Fast Break Points
• NKU's 91-55 triumph over Alice Lloyd College marked its second straight win.
• NKU and Eastern Kentucky have met 10 times on the hardwood. The Colonels hold a 6-4 series edge but the Norse won the last meeting, 76-57, on Dec. 8, 2019 at BB&T Arena.
• In the national statistical rankings, NKU is 21st in steals (10 spg), 21st in made threes (10.4), 32nd in offensive rebounds (13.2 orpg) and 49th in total steals (90).
• According to KenPom, NKU ranks 41st with a 12.2% steal rate on defense and 18th in offensive rebound rate (37.0%).
• NKU returned 91% (1,626-of-1,784) of its scoring, 87% (757-of-872) of its rebounding and 85% (4,294-of-5,075) of its minutes from last season's team. NKU's returning points production is the 18th-most in the country.
• NKU was picked to finish third in a tightly contested #HLMBB preseason poll that saw five teams receive a first-place vote.
• NKU is the only Horizon League men's basketball program to reach at least the semifinals of the league tournament championship each of the last three seasons.
• NKU finished third in the Horizon League standings based on win percentage last year, marking its sixth-straight top-three league finish.
• NKU has been one of the most dominant teams in the Horizon League over the last four seasons, amassing a 73-30 (.709) mark against league foes while winning five of the combined 10 league championships (two regular season and three tournament).
• NKU is riding a streak of five-straight seasons with a winning percentage beginning with the 2016-17 team, and NKU is a combined 110-55 (.667), 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 except '21.
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Marques Warrick, the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year and all-freshman and all-league third team honoree, was named co-league player of the week Dec. 13 after averaging 21 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals in wins over Canisius and Alice Lloyd.
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Trevon Faulkner earned a spot on the All-Horizon League Second Team last year and reprised the role on the Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team this year. Faulkner's 41.2% 3-point shooting ranks 71st in the country, while his 2.6 made treys per game check in at 94th.
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Sam Vinson has started all nine games and earned three #HLMBB Freshman of the Week honors. The freshman averaged 17 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals against Canisius and Alice Lloyd and garnered his third freshman league accolade Dec. 13.
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Adrian Nelson, a Horizon League All-Academic honoree with a 3.42 GPA in Organizational Leadership, is shooting 64% (32-of-50) on the year. His 3.56 offensive rebounds per game rank 13th nationally.
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Hubertas Pivorius tied a season high with five made 3-pointers against Alice Lloyd behind 62.5% (5-of-8) perimeter shooting. He has converted 47.6% (20-for-42) of his 3-point attempts, good for 17th in the nation.
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Bryson Langdon dished out a season-high eight assists against Alice Lloyd and is averaging 3.2 on the season. His assist-to-turnover ratio (2.07) ranks 108th nationally.
Last Time Out
Sam Vinson (17 points),
Hubertas Pivorius (15 points) and
Marques Warrick (12 points) were among six double-figure scorers in NKU's 91-55 victory over Alice Lloyd. The trio converted 11 of NKU's 17 made 3-pointers en route to a new single-game record for most perimeter attempts (45). The Norse amassed 27 assists, second-most in program history, and scored 35 points off turnovers.
Scouting EKU
EKU (6-6) made a program record 25 3-pointers in Wednesday's 121-67 home victory over Midway. The Colonels snapped a five-game losing streak and climbed the national charts statistically. A.W. Hamilton's team leads the nation in made 3-pointers per game (13.2), total made 3-pointers (159) and 3-point attempts (431). Forward Jannson Williams paces EKU in scoring (12.4 ppg) behind 41.8% perimeter shooting (23-of-55).
Series Stuff
This is the 11th meeting between Northern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels lead the series 6-4 but NKU has won two of the last three series games. The most recent clash was a 76-57 Norse victory on Dec. 8, 2019 at BB&T Arena.
Trevon Faulkner tied a team-high with 18 points.
#NorseUp
