HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Fresh from a season-first Horizon League victory over Green Bay, Northern Kentucky's men's basketball team hosts Milwaukee at 2 p.m. Saturday at BB&T Arena. The outing is NKU's second in a five-game homestand.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (5-7 Overall, 1-2 Horizon League)
Milwaukee Panthers (3-9 Overall, 1-2 Horizon League)
Saturday, Jan. 1 – 2 p.m. (ET)
Highland Heights, Ky. | BB&T Arena (8,427)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 55KRC
Stats: Live Stats
Digital Program: NKU Men's Basketball Weekly – Week 7
 
Fast Break Points 
• Northern Kentucky claimed its first Horizon League victory with a 79-74 triumph over Green Bay, Thursday at BB&T Arena. Marques Warrick (20 points) and Trevon Faulkner (19 points) propelled four NKU double-figure scorers in a clash featuring seven ties and six lead changes. 
 
• The Norse quickly turn the page to Milwaukee and the first of 10 games in January. The Panthers are coming off an 80-75 loss at Wright State.
 
• In the national statistical rankings, NKU is 18th in steals (10.0 spg), 25st in made threes (10.1), 23th in offensive rebounds (13.3 orpg) and 20th in total steals (120).
 
• According to KenPom, NKU ranks 22nd with a 12.8% steal rate on defense and 21st in offensive rebound rate (35.9%).
 
• 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 was picked to finish third in a tightly contested #HLMBB preseason poll that saw five teams receive a first-place vote.
 
• NKU finished third in last year's Horizon League standings based on win percentage, marking its sixth-straight Top 3 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.
 
• G Marques Warrick, the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year and All-Freshman and All-League Third Team honoree, has scored in double figures seven times this season. He has averaged 16.3 points the last eight games.
 
• G 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. His 2.5 made treys per game rank second in the Horizon League. He's averaging a team-best 13.6 points.
 
• G Sam Vinson has started all 12 games and earned three #HLMBB Freshman of the Week honors this season. Vinson is 12th nationally in steals per game (2.4) and 11th in total steals (29).
 
• F Adrian Nelson, a Horizon League All-Academic honoree with a 3.42 GPA in Organizational Leadership, is shooting 63.6% (35-of-55). His 8.3 rebounds per game rank 63rd in the country and his 3.3 offensive boards per game rank 22nd.
• G Hubertas Pivorius has converted 46.9% (23-for-49) of his 3-point attempts. He twice has made 5 treys in a game (Wheeling, Alice Lloyd). 
 
Last Time Out
Although illness and injury forced NKU to become creative with lineups, a demonstrative second half ensured the team's 79-74 defeat of Green Bay, Thursday at BB&T Arena. Marques Warrick (20 points) and Trevon Faulkner (19 points) led four Norse double-figure scorers in a season-first Horizon League triumph. NKU trailed at halftime but outscored the Phoenix 46-36 after the break. Warrick and Faulkner combined for 27 second-half points, including five in the last minute, to end 2021 on a high note.
 
Scouting Milwaukee
The Panthers (3-9, 1-2 Horizon League) played at less than full strength against a short-handed Wright State team Thursday night and fell to the Raiders, 80-75, in Dayton. Freshman standout Patrick Baldwin Jr. (15 points, 7.1 rebounds) missed a second straight outing. Season scoring leader DeAndre Gholston (16 ppg) paced Milwaukee with a season-high 26 points. The Panthers have lost three of their last four games.
 
Series Stuff
NKU leads the all-time series with Milwaukee 11-3. The Norse have won 10 straight against the Panthers and are 5-0 at home all-time. Trevon Faulkner scored 21 points and Adrian Nelson added a double-double (17 points, 14 rebounds) in the teams' last meeting, a 79-65 NKU road win Feb. 6, 2001.
 
 
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