GLVC Freshman of the Year Billy Finnell

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Northern Kentucky University’s Billy Finnell has been selected as the Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the Year by league coaches.

Finnell, a graduate of Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati, averaged 8.6 points per game this season and led NKU with 123 assists. The freshman point guard also recorded a team-leading 34 steals.

In addition, Finnell emerged as a go-to player in clutch situations, and he won games against Kentucky Wesleyan, Indianapolis and Lewis with key shots and free throws late in each of those contests.

NKU’s Kevin Schappell was named honorable mention All-GLVC after averaging 11.2 ppg. The junior swingman from Loveland High School led the Norse in 3-point shooting (.434), 3-pointers made (43) and free-throw shooting (.821) this season.

NKU posted a 17-11 overall record, and the Norse finished in second place in the GLVC East with a 12-7 mark. NKU just missed earning an at-large berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament after having been eighth in the Great Lakes Region poll going into the GLVC Tournament.

The Norse lost to Southern Illinois at Edwardsville in the opening round of the GLVC Tournament, and that allowed Ferris State from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to jump past NKU when the eight-team Great Lakes Region field was announced Sunday.

Ferris State won twice in the GLIAC Tournament, including a come-from-behind victory against Findlay in the semifinals.

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