HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky's men's basketball team aims to extend its winning streak to four when it hosts conference foe Purdue Fort Wayne at 7 p.m. Friday. The Mastodons won the team's first meeting, a 71-57 outing Dec. 4 in Fort Wayne, Ind., but NKU enters the rematch on an upswing with four victories in its last five games.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (9-9 Overall, 5-4 Horizon League)
Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (11-8 Overall, 6-4 Horizon League)
Friday, Jan. 28 | 7 p.m. (ET)
Highland Heights, Ky. | BB&T Arena (8,427)
TV: Bally Sports Ohio
Radio: ESPN1530
Stats: Live Stats
Digital Program: NKU Men's Basketball Weekly – Week 11
 
Fast Break Points
• After losing Jan. 1 to Milwaukee, NKU has won four of its last five games including three straight. NKU has held its last five opponents to an average of 63 points.
 
• The Norse's Jan. 30 game against Cleveland State has been moved up to 12 p.m. (from 2 p.m.) to avoid conflicting with the Cincinnati Bengals' AFC Championship game.
 
• NKU has been an offensive rebounding tour de force under Darrin Horn. The Norse were 117th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (29.7) in 2019-20, Horn's first season at the helm. NKU ascended to No. 15 (34.9%) in 2020-21. Now, 18 games into 2021-22, the Norse rank 15th (35.9%) per KenPom.com. The payoff for attacking the offensive glass: NKU's 228 second-chance points this season. That's an average of 12.7 points a game.
 
• In the national statistical rankings, NKU is 12th in offensive rebounds (13.5 orpg), 13th in steals (9.4 spg), 25th in total steals (170) and 40th in made threes (9.3).
 
• According to KenPom, NKU ranks 15th in offensive rebounding percentage (35.9%) and 21^st in defensive steal percentage (12.8%).
 
• NKU was picked to finish third in a tightly contested #HLMBB preseason poll.
 
• NKU has been one of the most dominant teams in the Horizon League over the last four seasons, winning five of the combined 10 league championships (two regular season and three tournament).
 
• Since 2016-17, NKU has won the Horizon League regular season twice ('18, '19) and league tourney three times ('17, '19, '20). The Norse have qualified for either the NCAA Tournament ('17, '19, '20) or NIT ('18) every year except 2021.
 
• G Marques Warrick, the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year, leads NKU in scoring (14.4 ppg). He has averaged 17.7 points in NKU's last seven games.
 
• G Trevon Faulkner, a Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team selection, contributes a team-second 12.1 points. He has made at least one 3-pointer in 14 of his 17 games this season.
 
• G Sam Vinson, a five-time Nike Horizon League Men's Freshman of the Week, has averaged 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals in the Norse's last seven outings.
 
• F Adrian Nelson, a Horizon League All-Academic honoree, has 636 career rebounds. He's four boards shy of becoming NKU's No. 9 career rebounder.
 
• F Chris Brandon went 5-of-6 from the field against Wright State and added six rebounds, two steals, a block and an assist in 22 minutes. He finished with 10 points.
 
Last Time Out
The Norse collected a third straight win by defeating Wright State 73-63 at BB&T Arena Tuesday night. The game featured three ties and 10 lead changes and came down to the final minutes. Tied at 61 with 5:20 left, Sam Vinson converted a jump shot and 3-pointer within 33 seconds. Marques Warrick's corner three with 1:19 left gave NKU a six-point lead and the Norse never relinquished control. NKU finished the game on a 12-2 run. Warrick led all scorers with 23 points on a night NKU shot 50.8% from the field and held Wright State's league-leading offense well below its average.
 
Scouting Purdue Fort Wayne
Buoyed by the Horizon League's No. 3 perimeter percentage (35.6) and No. 4 field goal percentage (45.8), Purdue Fort Wayne has won six of its last seven games including three straight. Jarred Godfrey leads the Mastodons in scoring (16.2 points per game) and assists (4.2). Jalon Pipkins adds 12.2 points per game. The Dons have defeated their last three foes by an average of 26 points.
 
Series Stuff
NKU leads, 26-13. PFW defeated NKU 71-57 in their first meeting this season (Dec. 4 in Fort Wayne) behind Jalon Pipkins' 21 points. The Mastodons piled up 19 points off turnovers and led by as many as 18 points early in the second half. Trey Robinson paced the Norse with 16 points. The Mastodons' victory snapped NKU's 16-game winning streak in the series.