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By Mike Anderson, NKU Sports Information HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Five players scored in double-figures Thursday night as Northern Kentucky University took a key Great Lakes Valley Conference win against Lewis in Regents Hall. Steven Wright led NKU with 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Kevin Schappell came off the bench to add 13, with all four of his field goals coming from 3-point range. Billy Finnell also chipped in 13, while James Cripe and Vincent Humphrey each had 12 points. “We had to come out and make a statement,” said Humphrey, who averages 7.4 points on the season but has stepped things up as of late, scoring 40 points over his last three games. “Coach Bezold stressed that we've dug ourselves a hole as far as regionals are concerned. It's all in our hands as long as we take care of our division games.” “We've got a lot of talent and depth, it's been one of our strengths all year,” said Schappell, who helped the NKU win the bench battle, 20-7. “We don't need one or two guys scoring 20 points each night. It's better to have five or six guys score double figures. “When that happens, teams can't match up with you.” Thursday's contest was the first of a four-game homestand and six straight games against GLVC East competition to finish the regular season. “We're right on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, so we want to win them all,” noted Schappell, “We've got four home games in a row, and if we can take care of business here, we can assure ourselves a spot in the tournament.” The GLVC's most deadly 3-point shooting team showed its mettle once again, hitting 50 percent from long-range and 50.9 percent from the field. Almost half of NKU's field goals were on the perimeter. But the story of the game may have been born of simple fundamentals, as the Norse broke a 10-year-old school record with just four turnovers in the contest. NKU held themselves to five on two separate occasions, the most recent against Oakland (Mich.) during the 1996-97 season. Meanwhile, the Norse forced 14 Flyer turnovers, converting them into 21 points on the scoreboard. Head coach Dave Bezold was surprised by the stat. “I didn't realize we only had four turnovers. But it gave us more opportunities to shoot the ball and score, and kept Lewis from getting those transition opportunities.” “I think we're starting to come along and play well together as a team,” said Humphrey. “Everyone knows their spots and knows where everyone is supposed to be, so it's all just coming together.” “We have confidence in each other,” added Schappell, who had three of NKU's 17 assists on the night. “We're not a selfish team. Everybody is always looking to make the extra pass, and we know where each person is.”
The shooting efficiency and ball-handling prowess helped mask a difficult day on the boards, as NKU was outrebounded 33-23 on the night. “We don't want that to happen, but they've got a good inside presence with (Stephan) Bolt,” said Bezold of the 6-foot-6 junior forward. Bolt had 10 rebounds on the night to go with his 17 points. Brandon Dagans led the Flyers with 25 points. “We knew coming in that (Bolt and Dagans) would be the key players and if we shut them down, as well as their shooters, we could come away with a win,” added Humphrey. The Norse allowed just 14 points to the rest of the Flyers' team, who shot a respectable 46.9 percent from the floor. Lewis came out on fire early, opening up the game with an 8-2 run in the game's first two minutes. NKU responded and never looked back when an Anthony Teague 3-pointer with 14:27 left in the first half sparked a 28-7 run to extend the lead to 35-19. Lewis (12-10, 7-7 GLVC) responded with a 14-4 run to open the second half, bookended by a pair of Brandon Dagans 3-pointers that cut the lead to six with just under 16 minutes left. The Norse continued to light it up from downtown, however, as five of their first seven field goals in the second half came from beyond the arc allowing them to keep pace. Cripe took the game inside about halfway through the second frame, scoring NKU's next eight points on his own as he helped re-open the 17-point lead. The Norse led by as much as 20 in the second before settling for the 16-point final margin. The win puts the Norse at 16-6 overall and 9-5 in the GLVC to lead the East Division. They currently hold a 1 1⁄2 game lead on Saint Joseph's and Indianapolis. The Norse return to action Saturday afternoon when they host GLVC East rival Wisconsin-Parkside at 3:15 p.m. NKU will be looking to avenge its 80-73 loss to the Rangers last month in Kenosha, Wis. The Norse conclude their home schedule next week with games against in-state rivals Bellarmine (on Tuesday) and Kentucky Wesleyan (on Thursday), with both games set to tip-off at 7:45 p.m. Prior to the start of the contest against Kentucky Wesleyan, NKU will recognize its four senior players - Wright, Teague, Schappell and Cripe – manager Nathan Rutledge and their families. |
