DETROIT, Mich. – Northern Kentucky, winner of three straight games and nine of its last 10, travels to Detroit Mercy for a regular-season rematch at 7 p.m. Friday. The Norse's lone loss in its recent 10-game stretch came against the Titans – a 74-68 defeat Feb. 5 at BB&T Arena.
 
Friday's outing is NKU's fourth in a five-game Horizon League road swing.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (15-10, 11-5 Horizon League)
Detroit Mercy Titans (10-13, 7-6 Horizon League)
Friday, Feb. 18 | 7 p.m. (ET)
Detroit, Mich. | Calihan Hall (8,295)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: ESPN1530
Stats: Live Stats
Digital Program: NKU Men's Basketball Weekly – Week 14
 
Fast Break Points
• The Norse have won nine of their last 10 games, including three straight on the road, behind their defense. For the season, NKU has the Horizon League's top scoring defense (66.3 points).
 
• NKU has shown multiple trends in its recent 9-1 stretch. The Norse have held opponents to 61.9 points while out-rebounding them by 3.3 boards. The victories have been characterized by 9.4 steals, 15.7 assists, 46.3% overall shooting, 8.1 made 3-pointers and a +10.1 scoring margin.
 
• NKU has been an offensive rebounding juggernaut 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, 25 games into 2021-22, the Norse rank 11th (35.7%) per KenPom.com. The payoff for attacking the offensive glass: NKU's 313 second-chance points this season. That's an average of 12.5 points a game.
 
• In the national statistical rankings, NKU is 11th in steals per game (9.4), 11th in total steals (235), 20th in offensive rebounds per game (12.8) and 39th in made threes per game (9.0).
 
• The Norse enter the Detroit Mercy game ranked third in the Horizon League standings behind Cleveland State and Oakland. Each of the four teams that top the standings at the regular season's end receive a first-round bye in the Horizon League Championships and host a quarterfinal.
 
• NKU is riding a streak of five straight seasons with a winning percentage, beginning with the 2016-17 team. NKU has won the Horizon League regular season twice (2018, 2019) and league tourney three times (2017, 2019, 2020). The Norse have qualified for either the NCAA Tournament (2017, 2019, 2020) or NIT (2018) every year except 2021.
 
• G Marques Warrick, the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year, leads the team with 14.9 points per game. He has averaged 17 points in the Norse's last eight outings alone.
 
• G Trevon Faulkner, a Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team selection, contributes a team-tying-second 12.3 points. He has made at least one 3-pointer in 19 of his 24 games.
 
• G Sam Vinson has been named Nike Horizon League Men's Freshman of the Week seven times. He ranks 26th nationally in total steals (52) and 32nd in steals per game (2.1).
 
• F Adrian Nelson, a Horizon League All-Academic honoree, has 682 career rebounds. He ranks seventh all-time in Norse rebounding and is five away from overtaking No. 6 Tony Faehr (686).
 
• F Chris Brandon has recorded two double-doubles this season, most recently Feb. 9 at Milwaukee (17 pts, 11 reb). He has averaged 9.2 rebounds his last six games.
 
• G Bryson Langdon has averaged 10 points and 6.3 assists in NKU's last four games. His assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3) is No. 3 in the Horizon League and 54th nationally.
 
Last Time Out
Northern Kentucky led from start to finish in a 75-71 victory over Wright State at the Nutter Center Feb. 13 and thwarted the Raiders' late comeback bid. Sam Vinson scored 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting with a team-high-tying six rebounds, an assist and a steal. Marques Warrick went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line en route to 16 points. He added three rebounds, two assists and a steal.  NKU broke open the game on a 17-4 first half run and led by as many as 18 points with 55 seconds left in the first half. The Norse shot 58% from the field (29-for-50) throughout to complete a season sweep of the Raiders. NKU previously defeated Wright State 73-63 on Jan. 25 at BB&T Arena.
 
Scouting Detroit Mercy
Detroit Mercy has lost back-to-back games and three of its last five in a five-game road swing. The Titans are undefeated on their home court (5-0). Antoine Davis is No. 2 nationally and No. 1 in the Horizon League in scoring (23.4 points per game) while adding 4.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds. Davis, the son of Titans coach Mike Davis, enters the game with 2,554 career points - good for 49th in NCAA history. His 403 career 3-pointers are Horizon League and Detroit Mercy records. Davis has averaged 21.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds in seven career games against NKU. He has shot 43.3% (55-of-127) overall and 32.9% (23-of-70) from three.
 
Series Stuff
NKU is 10-3 all-time against the Titans, although the Titans won the last clash. NKU and Detroit Mercy played their first game this season Feb. 5, a 74-68 Titans victory at BB&T Arena. Trevon Faulkner tied the game at 55 on a 3-pointer with 5:43 to play but Antoine Davis answered with a triple of his own and the Titans never relinquished control. The loss snapped NKU's six-game winning streak and was Detroit Mercy's first over NKU since Jan. 3, 2020.