In the second round of the Horizon League Tournament, the Northern Kentucky Norse took on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in what turned out to be an exciting game. Despite a strong effort from Oakland, Northern Kentucky ultimately emerged victorious with a final score of 81-74.
Northern Kentucky entered the game with a solid record of 20-12, including a 14-6 record in conference play, while Oakland had a record of 13-19 with an 11-9 record in conference play. These records may suggest a significant gap between the two teams, but the game was much closer than that.
The game started with Northern Kentucky taking an early lead and finishing the first half ahead 41-32. But, Oakland came back in the second half and outscored Northern Kentucky 42-40. However, Northern Kentucky held on to secure the win.
T. Robinson led the way for Northern Kentucky with an impressive 22 points, while M. Warrick and C. Brandon also made valuable contributions with 12 and 13 points, respectively. Brandon also had a double-double with 13 rebounds. On the other hand, J. Moore led Oakland in scoring with 21 points, while T. Townsend added 19 points.
When we look at the team statistics, Northern Kentucky was more effective on the offensive end, shooting 49% from the field compared to Oakland’s 50%, but were better from the three-point range with 44.8% compared to Oakland’s 42.1%. Northern Kentucky also had a better performance from the free-throw line, making 66.7% compared to Oakland’s 81.8%.
In terms of rebounds, Northern Kentucky had a clear edge with a total of 35 rebounds compared to Oakland’s 23. Northern Kentucky also had 10 assists compared to Oakland’s 2, and recorded 4 steals compared to Oakland’s 1. However, both teams had one block each.
Despite the loss, Oakland played well and kept the game close throughout. Northern Kentucky will look to maintain their momentum as they move on to the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament.
