The Northern Kentucky men’s basketball team rolled past Eastern Kentucky on Sunday evening by a final score of 91-63. Drew McDonald and Carson Williams combined to shoot 19-of-23 (83 percent) from the floor and score 44 points in lifting NKU to 7-3 overall and 5-0 at BB&T Arena. EKU falls to 4-6 on the year.
STATS LEADERS
· McDonald just missed out on a double-double with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting and nine rebounds.
· Williams added 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting and six rebounds, three assists and career-high five steals.
· Dantez Walton and Lavone Holland II each had 10 points in the contest.
TURNING POINT
· Leading by eight points at halftime, NKU started the second half on a 10-1 run to build a comfortable 17-point lead and put the game out of reach.
FIRST-HALF SUMMARY
· With the score tied 4-4 early in the first half, NKU went on a 7-0 run to take an 11-4 lead. Williams capped the run with an impressive steal and dunk.
· EKU battled back and took an 18-15 lead with 10:09 to play in the half.
· The Norse proceeded to go on another 7-0 run to take a 22-18 lead.
· NKU took a 37-29 lead into the half, despite a 1-for-13 (7.7%) showing from behind the arc.
· McDonald was the top scorer in the half with 15 points, and Walton added eight points for the Norse.
· NKU was 14-of-30 (46.7%) from the floor, while EKU went 12-of-30 (40.0%).
· The Norse had a big advantage in points in the paint during the half, outscoring EKU 24-10.
SECOND-HALF SUMMARY
· The Norse went on a 10-1 in the first 3:21 of the second half to build a 17-point lead.
· Williams and Holland each had highlight-reel alley-oop dunks in the half.
· NKU kept building on to its lead and finished the game with a 91-63 victory.
· The Norse shot a blistering 25-of-35 (71.4%) from the floor in the second half.
· After having just six assists in the first half, the Norse had 16 in the second half.
· NKU forced eight turnovers in the half.
· The Norse outscored EKU 54-34 in the half.
GAME NOTES
· Four different players scored in double figures for the Norse, who improved to 5-0 on the season when four or more players reach double-digits.
· NKU finished the game shooting 39-of-65 (60.0%) and held EKU to 25-of-55 (45.5%) from the floor.
· The Norse outscored EKU 64-22 in the paint.
· NKU also had a 39-24 advantage on the boards, which included 15 offensive rebounds. The persistency on the glass helped the team to 22 second-chance points.
· The Norse also outscored EKU 21-4 in fast break points.
· NKU had 22 assists on 39 made baskets in the contest.
· Jordan Garnett tied a career high with five assists.
NEXT UP
· NKU travels to UMBC on Sunday, Dec. 17. Tipoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. in Baltimore, Maryland.
#TakeNotice
Ryan Wilker
Northern Kentucky University
Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant
