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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Northern Kentucky University begins a five-game homestand Thursday night when Lewis visits Regents Hall for a Great Lakes Valley Conference battle at 7:45 p.m. NKU is 14-3 overall and is in first place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division with an 8-2 record. The Norse posted an 84-53 win at Missouri S&T last Saturday. NKU plays host to Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. The Rangers were the preseason favorite to win the GLVC East title. The Wisconsin-Parkside game will be televised live on ICN-6. SHORT STAY: NKU entered the NCAA Division II national rankings last week for the first time in five years, but a loss at Missouri-St. Louis dropped the Norse out of the poll when it was released Tuesday. NKU had been ranked 25th nationally last week, its first appearance in the poll since March 11, 2003. TREYS GALORE: NKU knocked down 16 shots from 3-point range in its win over Missouri S&T. Mark Hawkins and Dennis Gagai each scored 14 points off the bench in that win. Hawkins and Gagai buried four 3-pointers apiece to key the victory. Anthony Teague hit a trio of 3-pointers for the Norse, while teammate DeAaron Williams drained a pair of treys. Gagai continues to lead the GLVC in 3-point shooting at 54.8 percent. The freshman guard is 46-for-84 this season from behind the arc and leads NKU in scoring at 13.1 points per game. As a team, the Norse still lead the GLVC in 3-pointers made per game at 10.18. NKU is also No. 1 in the GLVC in 3-point shooting percentage at .421. BEZOLD NEARS 70: NKU head coach Dave Bezold enters Thursday’s game with a 69-38 record in his fourth season. He figures to reach the 70-win plateau faster than any other coach in Norse history. Former NKU head coach Mike Beitzel reached 70 wins in the middle of his fifth season (117 games) and is currently the fastest to 70 victories with the Norse. THE HAWK WARMS UP: NKU senior guard Mark Hawkins averaged 12.0 points on the Missouri road trip. For the season, Hawkins is scoring 4.4 ppg and has connected on 15 3-pointers. EVERYONE CAN SHOOT IT: NKU features seven players who have made at least 10 shots from 3-point range this season. ABOUT LEWIS: The Flyers are 13-4 overall, 6-3 in the GLVC. Junior forward Jason Genova averages 18.5 ppg and has made 43 3-point field goals. The Flyers also feature senior forward Stephan Bolt, an inside force who averages 17.1 ppg and 10.4 rebounds per game. Bolt is also shooting 61.2 percent from the field. THE LAST TIME AGAINST LEWIS: On Feb. 8, 2007, five players scored in double figures as NKU posted an 82-66 win over 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. In the first meeting last season at Romeoville, Ill., NKU held off a late Lewis comeback and defeated the Flyers, 72-66. Schappell led NKU with 23 points. ABOUT UW-PARKSIDE: The Rangers are 12-5 overall, 5-4 in the GLVC. Junior forward LaVontay Fenderson averages 14.4 ppg to lead Wisconsin-Parkside. Senior guard Kyle Clark is scoring 10.5 ppg, while senior guard Tyrone Deacon averages 10.4 ppg. THE LAST TIME AGAINST UW-PARKSIDE: Steven Wright scored 15 of his game-high 23 points in the second half to lead NKU to a 70-66 win over Wisconsin-Parkside on Feb. 10, 2007, in Regents Hall. The Rangers fell to 0-for-12 all-time in Regents Hall after watching NKU rally from a 13-point deficit for the win. The Norse held the visitors to 39.1 percent shooting from the field during the second half to pull out the victory. The Rangers scored just five points during the final 6:02 of the game, allowing NKU to overcome a 61-56 deficit. Wright delivered five straight points, including a clutch 3-pointer from way outside, to even the score at 61-all. The Rangers battled back and took their final lead at 65-63 on a Brad Ferstenou jumper with 3:08 left, but the Rangers scored just one point the remainder of the game. Wright's jumper tied the game at 65-all with 1:20 remaining. Tyrone Deacon missed a 3-pointer with less than a minute left, and Billy Finnell grabbed the rebound. NKU worked the ball around, and Anthony Teague found Finnell alone on the left wing. Finnell launched a 3-pointer that found the bottom of the net for a 68-65 Norse advantage with 23 seconds left in the game. In their first meeting last season, Wisconsin-Parkside posted an 80-73 win over NKU at Kenosha, Wis.
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