FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Riding a six-game win streak, Northern Kentucky University Norse men's basketball looked to improve to 2-0 in Horizon League play as they took on Purdue Fort Wayne. Taking a 15-point lead into the half, it looked like the Norse would continue their streak before the Mastodons came out of the half blazing, taking a lead six minutes in and never trailing the rest of the way.  

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Northern Kentucky - 77, Purdue Fort Wayne - 79
LOCATION: Truist Arena - Highland Heights, Ky.
RECORDS: Northern Kentucky: 7-3, 1-1 HL | Purdue Fort Wayne: 5-6, 1-1 HL

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN
– It was truly a tale of two halves for the Norse, who shot 51% from the field and 44% from three in the first, but 26% on field goals in the second and 16% from deep. NKU had just six turnovers in the first half, but 12 in the second. 
– Despite the loss, Dan Gherezgher led the Norse with a 27-point, seven-rebound effort, as he drilled a career-high seven threes. His 27 points marked a new high during his time at NKU and tied a career high.
– Kael Robinson also set a season-high in scoring, going for 26 points, and also grabbed seven rebounds. He went 8-16 from the field and 8-8 from the line. 
– LJ Wells was the only other Norse in double figures, going for 14 points and seven rebounds. 
– Ethan Elliott set a new season-high for any Norse with 10 assists in the game. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
– The Norse were playing some of their best ball of the season in the first half, as they held the Mastodons to just 34% shooting from the field in the period, outscoring Purdue Fort Wayne 44-29. The Norse really caught fire late in the half, as after they led 27-25 with just under five minutes to go, they then went on a 13-0 scoring run, highlighted by a trio of Dan Gherezgher triples. NKU coasted into the break with a 44-29 lead. 
– Things went south quickly in the second half, as after a Robinson and-one at the start of the period, the Norse went scoreless for six and a half minutes, while the Mastodons went on a 20-0 run in that time period. The Mastodon lead never grew past eight, though, as NKU fought down the stretch, but just couldn't get it done despite a few late opportunities. 

UP NEXT
– NKU is back home on Tuesday, set to take on Brescia. 

FOLLOW NKU NORSE MEN'S BASKETBALL
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