HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Coming off its best performance of the season at Central Michigan on Thursday, Northern Kentucky University Norse men's basketball faced off against Eastern Kentucky on Monday night. After struggling early, the Norse used a strong second half to take down the Colonels for their third-straight win. 

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Northern Kentucky - 82, Eastern Kentucky - 71
LOCATION: Truist Arena - Highland Heights, Ky.
RECORDS: Northern Kentucky: 4-2 | Eastern Kentucky: 1-5

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN
– NKU made 18 of 21 free throws, by far its best performance from the charity stripe this season. 
– The Norse had a balanced scoring effort, as four players recorded 14-plus points in the game. 
– Dan Gherezgher dropped 19 points, leading the team as he went 7-14 from the floor and 5-9 from three. The senior guard grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists. 
– Donovan Oday again scored in double figures, putting up 18 off the bench on Monday. He went 4-7 from the field and 8-9 from the free-throw line, grabbing four rebounds. Oday's now scored 14-plus points in every game this year.
– Kael Robinson went for 17 points, going 7-12 from the floor and 3-5 from downtown. He grabbed four boards, recorded two blocks and a steal.
– LJ Wells had his second double-double of the season, going for 14 points and 11 rebounds. Wells went 6-7 from the floor and also recorded three steals. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
– Despite both teams having high-scoring offenses entering the game, it was a slow start for both teams, as NKU and EKU combined for six points in the first five minutes. A 10-0 Norse run broke things open early and led the Colonels to call a timeout just six minutes in. 
– EKU slowly clawed its way back in the first half, taking a 22-20 lead at the 6:12 mark as the Norse struggled to knock down shots. The two teams traded baskets down the stretch as Eastern took a two-point lead into the half. 
– The Norse jumped out to an early second-half lead as Dan Gherezgher scored five points on two of NKU's three opening possessions in the period. After taking a lead at the 18:36 mark, the Norse never trailed in the remainder of the game.
– NKU pulled away on a 12-2 run late in the game, leading by as much as 16 with 1:47 to go. LJ Wells' dagger dunk with 19 seconds left clinched a Norse victory.

UP NEXT
NKU continues its four-game homestand on Wednesday afternoon, as the Norse are set to take on Wofford at 2 PM in Truist Arena. 

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.