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EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Northern Kentucky University’s Anthony Teague is a 3-point shooter first and foremost, and that’s never going to change as long as he continues to play basketball. But the Norse senior swingman is working on improving other facets of the game such as rebounding, defense and driving to the hoop. He displayed some of that well-rounded game during the semifinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament on Saturday afternoon by scoring a career-high 22 points and leading NKU to a hard-fought 69-62 win over Drury. The Norse improved to 22-7 and will meet Southern Indiana at 1 p.m. (CST) Sunday for the GLVC Tournament championship in Roberts Stadium. Teague finished 7-for-9 from the field, including 3-for-4 shooting from 3-point range. He also made all five of his free-throw attempts, grabbed four rebounds and made big plays throughout the second half. “I didn’t try to force anything because I’ve been inconsistent from the 3-point line this season,” said Teague a transfer from New Mexico and a native of Cleveland, Ohio. “Coach has told me to drive to the basket, that people are going to play me to be a shooter. I have to learn how to penetrate. "We have great penetrators like Billy (Finnell) and Steve (Wright), and that normally allows me to get open from the outside. But I can go to the basket, and I saw some openings in this game.” NKU head coach Dave Bezold is the first to admit Teague’s ability to shoot from long range is uncanny, but he is also pleased by the senior’s willingness to do the little things to win. “Anthony now gets himself going by rebounding and playing defense, instead of shooting,” Bezold said. “He’s drinking the Kool-Aid and he is on board. Doing other things gets you loose and into the game, and it relaxes you. “When he gets going, he can hit shots from anywhere and at any angle. Anthony’s range is unbelievable.” During the first half, though, Drury junior forward Collins Harris resembled Michael Jordan in his prime. The 6-foot-5 Harris put on an NBA-type scoring exhibition against NKU, netting Drury’s first 11 points – nine on a trio of 3-point shots – to give his team an early 15-5 cushion. By halftime, Harris already had 23 points and appeared to be on his way to shattering the GLVC Tournament scoring record of 35. Drury, however, needed a late basket by Adam White to forge a 41-all tie at the break.
That’s because Harrison Morton scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half, including seven to key a 12-1 run that gave NKU a 17-16 lead when Teague knocked down a jumper. “Harrison Morton gave us tremendous energy when we didn’t even have a pulse in the first half,” Bezold said. “He helped us get going offensively, helped us relax, and he was huge in this game.” The first half featured 15 lead changes and seven ties. Drury shot 59.1 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from 3-point range, while NKU connected on 58.6 percent of its shots from the floor and was 5-for-10 in 3-point attempts. Harris used 6-for-8 shooting from the field and hit all four of his 3-point attempts to go into the locker room with 23 points. “(Harris) is a heck of a player, and after he scored the first 11 points of the game for them, I thought we were in for a long night,” Teague said. “We adjusted well in the second half and were able to contain him a little better, but he is really good.” Teague, meanwhile, poured in 15 points in the second half to help NKU pull away. He sparked a 12-0 run by scoring seven straight points to give the Norse a 57-50 lead with 9:07 left in the game. Drury rallied and closed to within two points (62-60) with 3:45 left in the game when Harris made a pair of free throws. Teague responded again, hitting three free throws after being fouled attempting a 3-pointer for a 65-60 lead. Billy Finnell sealed the win for NKU with 22 seconds by hitting a short jumper to give the Norse a 67-62 advantage. Wright added 11 points and four assists for NKU, which won the rebounding battle by a 31-26 count. The NKU bench outscored Drury's reserves by a 42-4 margin, led by Teague and Morton. NKU’s defense on Harris in the second half made a huge difference in the outcome. The Drury All-GLVC performer was held to five points after the break and finished with 28. “We tried different people on him, and gave him different looks in the second half,” Bezold said. “Harris was just on fire in the first half, and he didn’t even miss a 3-pointer. You know things will usually even out sooner or later, and we just hoped he would cool off a little. “He is a great player, and Drury has a really talented team. We made some stops when we had to, and our seniors stepped up and made big plays, and that’s why you win at tournament time.” NKU will now have to get by a Southern Indiana team many consider a favorite to win the NCAA Division II national championship. Earlier this season, the Screaming Eagles handed NKU an 83-71 loss at the PAC Arena. NKU is ranked No. 4 in the latest NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region poll, and the pairings will be announced Sunday night. Findlay is No. 1 in the poll and is expected to host the eight-team regional field March 10, 11 and 13. |
