INDIANAPOLIS – The stage is set. The stakes, enormous.
 
Third-seeded Northern Kentucky faces fourth-seeded Wright State in the 2022 Keeps Horizon League Championship with the league's NCAA Tournament automatic bid on the line. The teams tip off at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in an ESPN-televised showdown at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
 
The Norse, winners of 14 of their last 16 games, are back in the Horizon League tournament title game for the fourth time in the last six seasons. Wright State last reached the conference tournament championship game in 2019 – and lost to NKU, 77-66.
 
The Norse swept the Raiders in the regular season, most recently a 75-71 triumph at the Nutter Center Feb. 13.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (20-11, 14-6 Horizon League)
Wright State (20-13, 15-7 Horizon League)
Tuesday, March 8 | 7 p.m. (ET)
Indianapolis | Indiana Farmers Coliseum (6,800)
TV: ESPN
Radio: FOXSports1360
Stats: Live Stats
 
Fast Break Points  
• The Norse, winners of 14 of their last 16 games, have held their opponents to a Horizon League-low 64.9 points. NKU has limited its last five opponents alone to 58.6 points en route to five straight victories. The Norse held their most recent foe, Purdue Fort Wayne, to a season-low 43 points.
 
• In the national statistical rankings, NKU is ninth in total steals (285), 11th in steals per game (9.2) and 46th in made threes per game (8.9).
 
• 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. Thirty games into 2021-22, the Norse rank 17th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (12.7). The payoff for attacking the offensive glass: NKU's 373 second-chance points this season. That's an average of 12.7 points a game.
 
• The Norse are undefeated this season (16-0) when scoring 70 or more points. They're 16-4 when besting their opponents on the boards.
 
• 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 DI NCAA Tournament (2017, 2019, 2020) or NIT (2018) every year except 2021.
 
• G Marques Warrick, an All-League Second Team member, averages 16.4 ppg. He has scored in double figures 25 times, including 14 straight, and has averaged 19.4 ppg in those 14 games.
 
• G Trevon Faulkner averages 11.8 points and has made at least one 3-pointer in 25 of his 30 games. He surpassed the 1,000-point career milestone in November and now has 1,318 points.
 
• G Sam Vinson is the Horizon League Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year and member of the All-Freshman team. His 65 steals thus far are a new Horizon League freshman record.
 
• F Adrian Nelson, a Horizon League All-Academic Honorable Mention, ranks sixth all-time at NKU with 726 rebounds. His 3.0 offensive boards per game rank second in the Horizon League.
 
• F Chris Brandon has recorded two double-doubles this season, most recently Feb. 9 at Milwaukee (17 pts, 11 reb). He averages a league-first 3.2 offensive rebounds per game.
 
• G Bryson Langdon's assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) ranks fourth in the Horizon League and 67th nationally. He's averaging 6.1 points and 4.0 assists per game.
 
Last Time Out
NKU punched its ticket to the 2022 Keeps Horizon League Championship title game by virtue of a 57-43 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne in Monday's conference tournament semifinal at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The third-seeded Norse held second-seeded PFW to 29% shooting and led by as many as 21 points. Marques Warrick led all scorers with 19 points and added five rebounds and three assists. Chris Brandon grabbed 14 rebounds. Adrian Nelson added nine boards with seven points. Bryson Langdon's 3-pointer just 3:27 into the game started an 11-0 run and the Norse led the rest of the way. By clamping down defensively and converting turnover to points, the Norse held the 'Dons to a season-low 43 points.
 
Scouting Wright State  
The fourth-seeded Raiders upended No. 1 seed Cleveland State in an 82-67 Horizon League semifinal victory Monday at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Wright State surged to a 22-10 lead and prevailed behind 49% shooting, including a 50% mark from 3-point range. The team this season has been led by Tanner Holden (19.8 ppg) and Grant Basile (18.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg). The Raiders enter the conference tournament finale on a four-game winning streak.
 
Series Stuff
NKU has a 15-27 all-time record against Wright State but swept the Raiders in the regular season. Their first game was Jan. 25, a 73-63 Norse win at BB&T Arena. In an outing featuring three ties and 10 lead changes, NKU's defense came up big late in the game, forcing the Raiders to miss seven of their last eight field goal attempts. Marques Warrick scored 23 points. Then, in a 75-71 triumph at Wright State Feb. 13, NKU led from start to finish and broke open the game on a 17-4 first-half run. Sam Vinson scored 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting with a team-high-tying six rebounds, an assist and a steal.