Kevin Reinhardt challenges Will Caudle

CINCINNATI - Brian Thornton scored 22 points on 9-for-10 shooting from the field as Xavier defeated Northern Kentucky University, 78-44, in an exhibition game Saturday night at the Cintas Center.

Stanley Burrell added 13 points and six assists for Xavier, which shot 57.1 percent from the field. The taller Musketeers won the rebounding battle by a 43-30 margin and held NKU to 26.3 percent shooting from the field.

Junior forward Kevin Reinhardt led NKU with 13 points and nine rebounds, while teammate Aaron Smith added nine points. The Norse, however, were unable to overcome a slow start and trailed 42-17 at halftime.

Xavier scored the game’s first eight points and jumped out to a 23-6 lead. The Musketeers’ 8-0 run to start the game was keyed by five points from Thornton, a 6-foot-9 post player who dominated the inside Saturday night.

NKU made just 18.5 percent of its shots in the first half, including 0-for-11 shooting from 3-point range. Thornton scored 13 points before halftime by making all five of his attempts from the field. Burrell, a 6-3 sophomore guard, added 12 points during the opening 20 minutes.

The Musketeers sealed the win by shooting 61.9 percent from the field in the second half. Freshman guard B.J. Raymond had 10 points in his Xavier debut before a crowd of 6,759.

Vincent Humphrey (5) drives to the basket

Kevin Schappell scored eight points for NKU, and Vincent Humphrey added six points in his Norse debut. Freshman point guard Scott Bibbins dished out a team-leading three assists for NKU, which finished 4-for-25 from 3-point range.

Saturday night’s game marked the first meeting between NKU and Xavier since Jan. 6, 1979, when the Norse stunned the Musketeers, 63-61, in overtime at Schmidt Fieldhouse. The previous season, NKU also upset Xavier, 59-58, as Mike Hofmeyer tipped in a shot at the buzzer to give the Norse the win.

NKU will conclude its exhibition schedule next Saturday night at 7 p.m. with a game at Cincinnati. The Bearcats defeated Hillsdale (Mich.) earlier this week in their exhibition opener.

NKU begins the regular season at 7:45 p.m. Nov. 18 against Findlay in the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic in Regents Hall. Findlay is ranked sixth nationally in the Division II Bulletin preseason poll, and the Oilers advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

Findlay, a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, posted a 30-4 record last season.

The Norse will meet Saginaw Valley State at 7:45 p.m. Nov. 19 in the final game of the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic. NKU will also play host to Grand Valley State on Thanksgiving Eve (Nov. 23) at 6:30 p.m. in Regents Hall.

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