GREEN BAY, Wis. – Northern Kentucky University Norse men's basketball battled Green Bay on Sunday afternoon, seeking its fifth-straight victory. Coming off a massive win over Milwaukee, where the Norse dominated in the first half, the script was flipped up north, as Green Bay quickly pulled ahead to a double-digit lead. The Phoenix led by as much as 19 in the second half, but NKU slowly chipped away, getting it down to two with a minute to go, but fumbled golden opportunities in the final minute as Green Bay escaped with a home win. 

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Northern Kentucky - 78, Green Bay - 80
LOCATION: Kress Center - Green Bay, Wisconsin
RECORDS: Northern Kentucky: 13-6, 5-3 HL | Green Bay: 10-8, 5-2 HL

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN
– Green Bay put on an offensive clinic in the first half, shooting 19-27 from the field and 8-10 from three over the first 20 minutes. They ended the game shooting 57.7% from the floor, 52.6% from three, and 10-15 from the line. The Norse shot 44.8% from the field and 38.5% on threes while shooting 16-20 from the charity stripe. 
– NKU dominated the turnover battle, only recording three in the game, while forcing nine from the Phoenix. The Norse were effective in transition, scoring 27 points on the fast break and 13 off turnovers. 
– The Phoenix crushed NKU on the glass, winning the rebound battle 34-25 and 25-16 on defensive rebounds.
– Donovan Oday led the Norse with a remarkable performance, scoring 31 points on 10-15 shooting, 4-6 from three, and 7-8 from the line. He also recorded a pair of steals. 
– LJ Wells went for 13 points and seven rebounds, shooting 4-8 from the floor. 
– Ethan Elliott had 11 points and seven assists, going 3-5 from deep, but 0-6 on two-point attempts. He also had three rebounds and a pair of steals. 

GAME NOTES
– NKU's three turnovers marked just the fourth occasion in the program's Division I history that the Norse recorded three or fewer turnovers in a game. It marked just the second time in the Horizon League this season that a team has recorded three or fewer turnovers, as Purdue Fort Wayne had just two on December 14. 
– Donovan Oday's performance marked the first time any Norse had crossed the 30-point mark this season. It was the seventh 30-point game in the Horizon League this season, and his 31 tied for the third-most points in a single game. It marked the 28th 30-point game in the Division I era at Northern Kentucky, and the most since Trey Robinson had 33 on March 11, 2024. 
– Oday's ten made field goals tied the most in a game for any Norse this year, as Kael Robinson had ten against Oakland on December 17. 
– Oday now leads all players in the nation in total points among players with four or fewer starts with 327 on the year. 
– With seven assists today, Ethan Elliott is on pace to record the highest single-season assists per game mark in NKU's Division I history, averaging 4.6 dimes a night. Michael Bradley holds the previous single-season high, averaging 4.5 assists per game in the 2023-24 season. 

UP NEXT
– NKU is back home on Thursday to take on Detroit Mercy, with tip-off set for 7 PM at 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.