Brought to you by Rebel Mettle Brewery, proud sponsor of Norse Men's Basketball.

 
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky's men's basketball team rode its stringent second-half defense to a 59-49 win over Purdue Fort Wayne, Friday at BB&T Arena. The Norse (10-9, 6-4 Horizon league) denied the Mastodons (11-9, 6-5) a field goal for the final 11:58 and finished the win on a 23-4 tear. The victory, NKU's fourth straight, avenged a Dec. 4 loss in the teams' first meeting.  
 
STATS LEADERS

• Sam Vinson scored in double figures for a fourth straight game. He scored 17 points behind 4-for-4 free-throw shooting with four assists, three rebounds and three steals.
• Trevon Faulkner scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half and grabbed six rebounds throughout.
• Marques Warrick contributed 10 points, four assists and three boards.
• Adrian Nelson retrieved 12 rebounds to go with his five points, two assists and a steal.

TURNING POINT

• NKU trailed by as many as nine points with 11:59 left. The Norse engineered a monumental rally, outscoring PFW 14-0 within a 23-4 run, and the Mastodons were denied a field goal for the last 11:58.

FIRST HALF SUMMARY

• Sam Vinson buried the team's first 3-pointer four minutes into play, knotting the score at seven, but the Mastodons shot 66.7% in the early going and Bobby Planutis' dunk put the visitors back on top. Marques Warrick's baseline floater ensured another tie.
• After a scramble for a loose ball, Bryson Langdon procured it and found Sam Vinson. The freshman dished to Trevon Faulkner for a corner 3-pointer and the Norse's first lead (12-11) at the 11:54 mark.
• PFW surged ahead 22-15 courtesy of a 10-1 run, bolstered by consecutive 3-pointers, with 7:04 left in the frame. NKU went more than four minutes without a field goal but recovered quickly with a 9-0 spurt.
• Four ties and five lead changes underscored the first half but the Mastodons, which shot 50% and converted six 3-pointers, led 31-28 at halftime. Jalon Pipkins led all scorers with 12 points.

SECOND HALF SUMMARY

• Chris Brandon's offensive rebound set up Sam Vinson's half-opening 3-pointer for a sixth tie. Vinson hit another triple two minutes later.
• The Norse fell behind by eight but Hubie Pivorious' fast-break layup, fueled by Sam Vinson's steal and assist, narrowed the gap to 42-36 with 12:18 remaining.
• Jarred Godfrey's 3-pointer gave PFW its largest lead – nine points – with 11:59 to play. The Norse outscored the visitors 23-4 the rest of the way.
• Marques Warrick scored five straight points within a 14-0 run to deadlock the score at 47 with 8:28 left. Bryson Langdon delivered a pivotal 3-pointer and Warrick, fouled attempting a 3-pointer, made three free throws. Trevon Faulkner added a runner in the lane for a 52-47 lead.
• The Norse held PFW to 18 second-half points and 22.7% second-half shooting.

GAME NOTES

• Adrian Nelson surpassed Terry Hairston for No. 9 on NKU's All-Time Rebounding list. He now has 648 rebounds and is chasing No. 8 Chris Wall, who amassed 666 boards from 1985-89.
• NKU won a fourth straight game and fifth of the last six while snapping PFW's three-game winning streak. 
• The Norse scored 16 points off the Mastodons' 17 turnovers, won the rebounding battle 38-27 and outscored PFW 10-0 in second-chance points.
• Although Purdue Fort Wayne won the teams' first meeting Dec. 4 in Indiana, a 71-57 victory, the Norse ensured a regular-season split with Friday's triumph. 

UP NEXT
Northern Kentucky continues a five-game home stand by hosting Cleveland State at noon Sunday at BB&T Arena.