The UMBC Retrievers edged the Northern Kentucky men’s basketball team on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 76-75. The Norse drop to 7-4 on the year.
STATS LEADERS
- Drew McDonald had a double-double for the Norse with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
- Carson Williams added 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
- Lavone Holland II chipped in 15 points.
- UMBC’s Jairus Lyles had a game-high 31 points.
TURNING POINT
- With UMBC leading 76-75, Holland had a good look near the basket in the final seconds but couldn’t get his shot to fall.
FIRST-HALF SUMMARY
- The first half was tightly-contested and featured seven ties and six lead changes.
- NKU took a six-point lead twice in the half, but the teams entered halftime tied at 43-43.
- Both teams shot the ball well during the half, as the Norse went 15-for-27 (55.6%) from the floor and UMBC was 15-for-28 (53.5%).
- NKU also had a good showing from behind the arc, shooting 7-of-11 (63.6%) in the half.
- Holland led the Norse with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the half, which included a 3-for-3 performance from behind the arc. McDonald was also in double figures with 10 points.
- The Norse had nine assists on 15 made field goals during the half.
SECOND-HALF SUMMARY
- The second half was also very even, as the frame featured five ties and seven lead changes.
- Lyles gave the Retrievers a 76-74 lead with 1:32 to play in the game.
- Holland converted a free throw attempt for the Norse with 1:19 to play to get within one.
- NKU had the final scoring opportunity of the game, but Holland couldn’t get his shot to fall in the final seconds, allowing UMBC to get the 76-75 victory.
- McDonald scored 14 points in the half for NKU, while Williams added 13 points.
- Lyles scored 19 of his points in the second half for UMBC.
- The Norse shot 12-of-29 (41.4%) from the floor and 2-of-12 (16.7%) from beyond the arc during the half.
- UMBC was just 10-of-32 (31.3%) on field goals and went 5-of-16 (31.3%) from the three-point line.
GAME NOTES
- NKU finished the game 27-of-56 (48.2%) from the floor, while UMBC went 25-of-60 (41.7%).
- The Norse were 12-of-16 (75.0%) from the free throw line, and UMBC converted 16-of-19 (84.2%) from the charity stripe.
- Each team had 34 rebounds and 28 points in the paint.
- The Norse finished the game with 18 assists on 27 made field goals.
NEXT UP
- NKU makes the trip to College Station, Texas, to face No. 9 Texas A&M on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
Ryan Wilker
Northern Kentucky University
Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant
