Aaron Smith keyed NKU’s win at UMR

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team begins a three-game homestand Thursday at 7:45 p.m. when Lewis visits Regents Hall.

NKU is 10-5 overall, 5-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Lewis is also 10-5 overall, and the Flyers are 4-3 in the GLVC.

NKU is in second place in the GLVC East standings, while Lewis is tied for third place. Saint Joseph’s leads the GLVC East with a 6-1 record.

The NKU/Lewis game will be televised live on ICN-6.

NORSE ROLL AT ROLLA: Vincent Humphrey and Aaron Smith combined for 33 points to lead NKU to a 71-43 win over Missouri-Rolla on Saturday.

Humphrey scored 19 points and grabbed four rebounds for NKU. Smith finished with a career-high 14 points and made four 3-point shots for the Norse.

ZONE-BUSTER: Smith made a trio of 3-pointers against the Missouri-Rolla zone in the first half to spark NKU, which finished 12-for-24 from 3-point range as a team.

A transfer from North Lake (Texas) Community College, Smith is coming back from a foot injury that caused him to miss 10 games earlier this season. He averages 4.4 points per game.

HUMPHREY IN-VINCE-IBLE AT ROLLA: Humphrey was perfect from 3-point range (3-for-3) and the free-throw line (6-for-6) in the win Saturday. He also added two blocked shots and was 5-for-7 from the field. Humphrey averages 10.7 ppg this season and has made 78.6 percent of his free throws.

AWESOME “D”: The Norse held Missouri-Rolla to 26.2 percent shooting from the field on Saturday. NKU limited the Miners to just three field goals the entire first half.

NKU ranks No. 1 in the GLVC in scoring defense at 61.5 ppg in the latest league statistics.

FLOOR GENERAL: Freshman point guard Billy Finnell added 11 points and six assists in the win at Missouri-Rolla. Finnell ranks third in the GLVC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.64. He is also sixth in the GLVC in assists at 4.27 apg.

NKU’s Travis Rasso

NO. 1 IN THE GLVC: NKU’s Kevin Schappell continues to lead the GLVC in free-throw shooting at 87.5 percent. Schappell is also leading NKU in scoring at 13.3 ppg (19th in the GLVC), and he ranks fourth in the GLVC in 3-point shooting at 50 percent (30-for-60).

RASSO STEPS UP BIG: NKU sophomore center Travis Rasso enjoyed a solid road trip, averaging 6.5 ppg and 5.0 rebounds in the two games. He scored seven points against Missouri-St. Louis last Thursday. Rasso added six points and seven rebounds at Missouri-Rolla.

WITH THE ASSIST: NKU freshman guard David McFarland dished out a career-high six assists last Saturday. He also grabbed five rebounds in that game.

ABOUT LEWIS: The Flyers feature three players who score in double figures, led by Pat Monaghan’s 14.6 ppg. Dustin Warfield averages 10.7 ppg off the bench for Lewis, while Stephan Bolt is scoring 10.7 ppg and leads the team in rebounding at 7.5 rpg. Brandon Dagans is scoring 9.5 ppg off the bench and leads the team in assists at 3.7 apg.

THE LAST TIME AGAINST LEWIS: On Feb. 19, 2005, Mike Kelsey scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half as NKU defeated Lewis, 72-66, at the Neil Carey Arena in Romeoville, Ill. Pat Cary added 18 points and eight rebounds for NKU. Cary scored 11 points in the first half as NKU forged a 32-32 tie at the break. After Lewis took a 44-43 lead on a jumper by Steve Turner, NKU responded with an 8-0 run to take a 51-44 advantage on a 3-pointer by Kelsey with 11:25 left in the game.

NKU led the remainder of the game and converted 13 of its 17 free throws in the second half to pick up the road victory. Lewis closed to within 69-66 with 13 seconds left on a tip-in basket by Branden Hunter, but Cary made one of two free throws to give NKU a 70-66 lead with 12 seconds remaining.

Kelsey then stole a pass and was fouled, and he sealed the win by sinking two free throws with three seconds left.

LAST SEASON IN REGENTS HALL: On Dec. 9, 2004, Anthony Scala scored 24 points in the second half as Lewis rallied for a 75-68 win over NKU in Regents Hall.

Scala unleashed a barrage of 3-point shots and scored a game-high 32 points to rally the Flyers. Scala finished 8-for-16 from behind the arc. After NKU built a 40-30 lead, Scala sparked a 14-0 run early in the second half with 11 points.

Lewis eventually forged a 13-point advantage (65-52) on a layup by Steve Turner, but NKU battled back with nine straight points and cut the deficit to 65-61 with 2:45 remaining.

Scala, however, halted the comeback when he drained a 3-pointer from 25 feet to give the Flyers a 68-61 advantage with 2:31 remaining. His shooting performance enabled Lewis to snap an 11-game losing streak in Regents Hall against NKU.

The Flyers had not posted a road victory at NKU since a 97-88 win on Feb. 11, 1993.

ABOUT WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE: The Rangers, who play at Bellarmine on Thursday, are 11-4 overall. Wisconsin-Parkside is 4-3 in the GLVC.

Kyle Clark leads the Rangers in scoring at 17.0 ppg. Tyrone Deacon is scoring 14.4 ppg, while Brad Ferstenou averages 10.6 ppg.