Kevin Schappell leads NKU in scoring

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team hits the road for the first time this season with three games in five days, beginning with a 6:30 p.m. Tuesday contest at Indianapolis.

NKU, off to a 5-0 start and 2-0 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, will face Saint Joseph’s at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Rensselaer, Ind. The Norse will close their busy week at 9 p.m. Saturday with a non-conference game against Brigham Young at Provo, Utah.

NKU’s game at BYU will mark the first time in 11 years that the Norse have met a Division I opponent in the regular season. NKU has not played a Division I opponent since the 1994-95 season, when the Norse dropped an 85-63 decision at Toledo.

SCHAPPELL SIZZLES: NKU junior guard/forward Kevin Schappell averaged 20 points per game last week in a pair of GLVC victories. He began with a 16-point performance during a 58-55 win over Rockhurst last Thursday.

On Saturday, Schappell scored a career-high 24 points to lead NKU past Drury, 64-46. In that game, Schappell made five 3-pointers and had three steals. Schappell currently leads NKU in scoring at 15.4 ppg, and he is doing it by coming off the bench and playing 28 minutes per game.

In addition, Schappell is shooting 63.2 percent from both the field and 3-point range, and he has converted 85 percent of his free throws.

REINHARDT GETS DOUBLE-DOUBLE: NKU junior forward Kevin Reinhardt notched a double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds) in the win over Drury. For the season, Reinhardt averages 15.0 ppg and a team-leading 7.6 rebounds.

THE BIG MAN INSIDE: Norse senior center Gavin Ludgood averaged 13 ppg in the two victories last week. Ludgood averages 9.6 points and is shooting 53.8 percent from the field.

DON’T FOUL THESE GUYS: NKU leads the GLVC in free-throw percentage (.785) and features seven players shooting at least 80 percent from the charity line.

NORSE EXCEL FROM LONG RANGE: NKU also ranks No. 1 in the GLVC in 3-point percentage at .451. Schappell is tied for second in the GLVC at 63.2 percent from 3-point range.

Billy Finnell averages 4.60 assists

FINNELL FINDS THE OPEN MAN: NKU freshman point guard Billy Finnell ranks sixth in the GLVC in assists at 4.60 apg. Finnell also averages 9.0 ppg and is shooting 50 percent from 3-point range.

ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS: The Greyhounds own a 1-3 record after dropping an 80-70 decision at Lewis last Saturday. Indianapolis is 1-1 in the GLVC.

Indianapolis is led in scoring by sophomore forward Justin Barnard, who averages 13.3 ppg. Senior guard Jesse McClung is scoring 13.2 ppg for the Greyhounds, while junior guard Luke Blank averages 12.5 ppg.

THE LAST TIME AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS: On March 3, 2005, Steve Purdon’s driving layup with 3.7 seconds left in the game lifted NKU to a 52-51 upset over Indianapolis in the first round of the GLVC Tournament at Evansville, Ind.

Indianapolis held a 51-50 lead with 17.3 seconds remaining, but the Greyhounds’ David Logan missed the front end of the bonus and NKU rebounded. Purdon took a pass on the left side, drove to the basket and converted a layup with 3.7 seconds left to give NKU a 52-51 lead.

Mickey McGill attempted a 25-footer at the buzzer, but the shot hit the rim and bounced to the floor. NKU rallied from a 51-46 deficit in the final 44 seconds and avenged two regular-season losses to Indianapolis.

ABOUT SAINT JOSEPH’S: The Pumas are 6-0 after holding off Wisconsin-Parkside, 70-67, Saturday. Saint Joseph’s is the favorite in the GLVC East and owns a 2-0 league mark.

Senior forward Sullivan Sykes averages 17.7 ppg to rank fourth in the GLVC in scoring, and senior post player Derek Fey is scoring 16.2 ppg. Senior point guard Rashad McSwine is scoring 14.2 ppg and dishing out 4.5 assists per contest. Saint Joseph’s leads the GLVC in scoring at 94.3 ppg and are winning games by an average margin of 19.7 points.

THE LAST TIME AGAINST SAINT JOSEPH’S: On Jan. 20, 2005, Sullivan Sykes and Derek Fey combined for 33 points to lead Saint Joseph’s to a 75-62 win over NKU at Highland Heights, Ky.

Sykes finished with 17 points for the Pumas, while Fey added 16 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Devin Thomas scored 13 points off the bench for Saint Joseph’s, which avenged an early-season 90-77 loss to NKU.

The Pumas built an 11-point halftime lead, extended that to 22 points (46-24) early in the second half and held on to post their first win in Regents Hall since a 101-82 victory over the Norse on Feb. 8, 2001.

ABOUT BYU: The Cougars, members of the Mountain West Conference, are 3-2 after suffering a 74-68 loss at Southern California. BYU will meet Boise State on Wednesday before playing host to NKU on Saturday.

BYU is led by 6-11 freshman forward Trent Plaisted, who averages 15.2 ppg on 59.1 percent shooting from the field.

NKU’S LAST WIN OVER A DIVISION I OPPONENT: On Jan. 14, 1984, NKU held off Tennessee State, 66-64, in Regents Hall. The Division I Tigers agreed to play at NKU (which was dual classification of NAIA/NCAA Division II at the time) and were upset as Dan Fleming and Mark Numbers each scored 16 points.

Earlier that same season on Nov. 28, NKU upset Division I Evansville, 61-59, in overtime at Evansville, Ind. Fleming led NKU with 15 points in that victory.