Stingy defense helped the Northern Kentucky men’s basketball team roll past Detroit Mercy on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 72-44. With the win, NKU moves to 15-7 overall and 8-2 in the Horizon League. Detroit Mercy falls to 6-17 on the season and 2-8 in League play.
STATS LEADERS
· Carson Williams was the leading scorer in the game with 13 points. He also added nine rebounds.
· Drew McDonald notched his 10th double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
· Tyler Sharpe added 10 points, three rebounds and two assists.
· Lavone Holland II, Jeff Garrett and Mason Faulkner each had eight points.
· Jalen Tate contributed two points, six rebounds and five assists. The six rebounds were a career-high for him.
TURNING POINT
· The Norse went on a 13-0 run with 4:32 remaining in the first half to build a 31-14 advantage. NKU went on to lead by as much as 32 points in the second half, and Detroit Mercy was unable to overcome the deficit.
FIRST-HALF SUMMARY
· Both teams started out slowly on the offensive end, as NKU had a 3-2 lead at the first media timeout.
· The Norse found their offensive rhythm and went on a 13-0 run at the 4:32 minute mark to take a 33-16 lead into halftime. Williams scored four points during the run, Sharpe knocked down a three-pointer, and Faulkner hit back-to-back three-pointers.
· NKU held Detroit Mercy to 7-of-36 (19.4%) shooting from the floor and 1-of-10 (10.0%) shooting from behind the arc.
· The Norse shot 12-of-30 (40.0%) on field goals and 7-of-18 (38.9%) from the three-point line.
· NKU’s bench outscored Detroit Mercy 17-9 in the half.
· The Norse had 10 assists on 12 made field goals.
· McDonald finished the half with seven points and 10 rebounds.
SECOND-HALF SUMMARY
· NKU outscored Detroit Mercy 16-4 to start the second half, and the Norse led by as much as 32 in the game.
· The Norse went on to win by a final score of 72-44.
· NKU shot 15-of-29 (51.7%) from the floor and 4-of-12 (33.3%) from the three-point line in the half.
· Detroit Mercy was 10-of-25 (40.0%) on field goals and 3-of-10 (30.0%) from beyond the arc.
· The Norse outrebounded Detroit Mercy 20-11 in the half.
· Williams had seven points and five rebounds in the period.
GAME NOTES
· The last time NKU held an opponent to under 20 percent shooting in a half was Feb. 7, 2015. The Norse held Lipscomb to just 4-of-22 (18.2%) shooting in the first half of a 77-60 win.
· NKU shot 27-of-59 (45.9%) from the floor during the game and 11-of-30 (36.7%) from the three-point line.
· Detroit Mercy went just 17-of-61 (27.9%) on field goals and 4-of-20 (20.0%) on attempts from behind the arc.
· The Norse finished with a 47-29 rebounding advantage.
· NKU had 19 assists on 27 made field goals.
· The Norse had six players score eight points or more.
· McDonald’s double-double was not only his 10th of the season, it was his eighth in the last 12 games.
NEXT UP
NKU travels to Youngstown State on Thursday, Feb. 1. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
#TakeNotice
Ryan Wilker
Northern Kentucky University
Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant
