HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Northern Kentucky men's basketball remained on fire on Wednesday night, as the Norse moved to 2-0 in Horizon League play on Wednesday night with a hard fought win over Detroit Mercy.
Four Norse finished with 10+ points, with
Randall Pettus II and
Trey Robinson finishing with a game-high 19 points.
Keeyan Itejere was a dominant presence for NKU on the inside, while
Josh Dilling once again knocked down multiple 3PT shots.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Northern Kentucky - 73, Detroit Mercy - 60
LOCATION: Truist Arena (Highland Heights, KY)
RECORDS: Northern Kentucky: 6-6 (2-0 Horizon), Detroit Mercy: 5-8 (1-2 Horizon)
BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN
- Keeyan Itejere was a dominant presence for NKU on the inside, finishing with 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Itejere scored 11 points in the first half, and shot 6-10 from the field on the night.
- Trey Robinson and Randall Pettus II were NKU's main scoring threats, each finishing with 19 points. Robinson bounced back from a tough performance against Norfolk State by finishing 6-9 from the floor with a pair of made 3PTers, while Pettus finished 6-10 with two 3PTers of his own.
- Josh Dilling followed up his 7-11 3PT night against Norfolk State with three more triples in the win. Dilling scored all 11 of his points in the second half.
- Hubertas Pivorius played big minutes for NKU and finished +16 in plus minus. Pivorius knocked down a pair of threes and grabbed three rebounds in the win.
- Sam Vinson had a tough night from the field, but finished with eight assists and a pair of steals in the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Northern Kentucky and Detroit Mercy battled in the first half, with NKU leading by as many as nine points in the first 20 minutes. Keeyan Itejere led NKU with 11 first half points, and the Norse took a 36-29 lead into the break.
- The Norse held the Titans at arms length during the second half, as Josh Dilling's 11 points helped the Norse take home the victory. NKU led by as many as 14 in the half.
UP NEXT
- Northern Kentucky hosts South Carolina State on Saturday in the final non-conference game of the regular season for the Norse. Tip off is set for 12 PM (noon) ET.
FOLLOW NKU NORSE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Get in the game and follow Northern Kentucky's NCAA Division I college team through @NKUNorseMBB on Twitter, @nkunorsembb on Instagram, nkunorsembb on Facebook and subscribe to the NKU Norse Youtube channel.
