The Northern Kentucky men’s basketball team fell to ETSU on Wednesday evening by a final score of 84-71. The Norse drop to 6-3 on the year, while the Bucs improve to 5-3. This was the second matchup between the two teams this season. NKU won the first game at BB&T Arena on Nov. 10 by a score of 81-63.
STATS LEADERS
· Carson Williams led all scorers with 22 points on the strength of 10-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-2 from long range.
· Lavone Holland II added 14 points, and Drew McDonald chipped in 10 points.
TURNING POINT
· Holland hit a three-pointer with 8:03 left in the first half to get the Norse within three points at 26-23. However, the Bucs outscored NKU 20-5 over the remainder of the half to take an 18-point lead into the break. The deficit was too much to overcome for the Norse.
FIRST-HALF SUMMARY
· McDonald picked up two fouls within the first 1:12 of the game and had to sit for the remainder of the first half.
· After the Norse took a 9-7 lead early in the game, ETSU proceeded to go on a 15-0 run to jump out to a 22-9 advantage.
· NKU battled back to get within four at 22-18 thanks to a 9-0 run.
· The Norse got as close as three points in the half thank to a Holland three-pointer with 8:03 left in the half, but ETSU took a 46-28 lead into halftime.
· The Bucs outscored NKU 20-5 after Holland’s three-pointer.
· NKU shot 10-of-23 (43.5%) in the first half, while ETSU went 16-of-27 (59.3%) from the floor.
· The Norse had 11 turnovers in the half, and the Bucs were able to score 18 points off of those miscues.
· Williams led the Norse with 11 points in the half.
SECOND-HALF SUMMARY
· ETSU led by as much as 21 points in the second half, but the Norse cut the deficit to 12 with 11:35 to play in the game.
· However, that would be the closest that NKU would get, as ETSU went on to win by a final score of 84-71.
· The Norse improved its shooting percentage in the second half, going 17-of-32 (53.1%) from the floor, and outscored the Bucs, 43-38.
· ETSU also had a good showing from the floor in the second half, as the Bucs went 15-of-25 (60.0%).
· NKU took better care of the ball in the second half, as the Norse only had three turnovers in the period.
· Williams had 11 points in the half to lead the Norse, and McDonald added 10 points.
GAME NOTES
· The Norse finished the game 27-of-55 (49.1%), while ETSU shot 31-of-52 (59.6%) during the contest.
· ETSU’s bench outscored NKU’s bench 42-11.
· The Bucs also had a 12-2 advantage in fast break points.
NEXT UP
· NKU hosts Eastern Kentucky in the Battle of the Bluegrass Intrastate Game presented by VisitMyrtleBeach.com on Sunday, Dec. 10. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at BB&T Arena, and the game will be broadcast live on the CW Cincinnati.
Ryan Wilker
Northern Kentucky University
Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant
