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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Northern Kentucky University will play an exhibition game against the University of Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. this Wednesday in Fifth Third Arena. NKU returns three starters from last season’s 24-9 team that advanced to the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Tournament championship game. The Norse are picked to finish second in the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division poll. NKU must replace GLVC Player of the Year Steven Wright, who averaged 16.8 points per game last season. Wright also became the first men’s basketball player in Norse history to earn first team All-America honors. Junior guard Billy Finnell returns to the NKU lineup after averaging 7.5 ppg. Finnell, a graduate of Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati, dished out a team-leading 123 assists last season. NKU also welcomes back senior forwards Vincent Humphrey and Harrison Morton. Humphrey averaged 7.5 ppg last season, while Morton scored 6.0 ppg. Shooting guard Mark Hawkins (4.1 ppg), defensive standout David McFarland, point guard Scott Bibbins and center Travis Rasso also return for NKU, which won the GLVC East championship last season with a 13-6 record. Hawkins is a 3-point shooting machine who knocked down 26 treys last season. McFarland, a tenacious defender and intense competitor, usually draws the toughest defensive assignment for the Norse. Bibbins played in six games before suffering a season-ending injury and was granted a medical redshirt. Rasso, a 6-foot-8 senior, averaged 3.3 points per game. NKU hopes to get a boost from 6-5 senior Anthony Teague (9.2 ppg), who is awaiting word from the NCAA for another year of eligibility. Teague made a team-leading 66 3-point shots last season. Teague will not play in Wednesday's exhibition game. NKU/UC SERIES: NKU and UC met seven times in regular-season contests from 1981-1988, and the Bearcats hold a 7-0 lead against the Norse in the all-time series. After the 1988-89 season, however, UC dropped the series against NKU to boost its strength of schedule. The Bearcats do not play non-Division I opponents in the regular season because of the RPI ratings that help determine NCAA Tournament berths. LAST SEASON’S EXHIBITION AGAINST UC: On Nov. 1, 2006, Cincinnati held NKU to just two field goals in the first half en route to an 87-41 victory over the Norse in Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats shot 60 percent from the field and rolled to the victory. NKU actually held a 2-0 lead just 18 seconds into the game when James Cripe took a pass from Steven Wright and powered his way in for a basket. UC, however, countered with a 10-0 run and NKU never recovered. Two free throws by Billy Finnell cut the UC lead to 10-4, but the Bearcats used a 14-0 run to build a 24-4 advantage with 10:31 remaining in the first half. John Williamson and Cedric McGowan each scored five points during the UC spurt.
The Bearcats made Mick Cronin's debut as head coach a comfortable experience by building a 47-11 lead at halftime. NKU shot just 2-for-13 from the field, missed all eight of its 3-point attempts and committed 17 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. Many of the NKU turnovers led to transition baskets by the Bearcats. NKU hit nine 3-pointers in the second half, but UC continued its torrid shooting from the field (53.8 percent) and coasted to the win. The Bearcats won the rebounding battle by a 42-19 margin and committed just 13 turnovers. Williamson finished with a game-high 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in his UC debut. The 6-foot-6 forward was 8-for-12 from the field. Cedric McGowan added 18 points and five rebounds, while Marvin Gentry scored 11 points. Wright led NKU with nine points and five rebounds. Anthony Teague scored seven points, while Mark Hawkins added six points and a team-leading three assists. The Norse finished by hitting 26.7 percent of their shots from the field. EXHIBITIONS AGAINST DIVISION I OPPONENTS: NKU is 0-10 against Division I opponents since 2001. The Norse are 0-6 against Cincinnati, 0-1 against Kentucky, 0-2 against Xavier and 0-1 against Ohio State. NKU’S LAST WIN AGAINST A DIVISION I OPPONENT: On Jan. 14, 1984, NKU stunned Tennessee State, 66-64, in Regents Hall. It was NKU’s second win of the season against a Division I foe (the Norse also knocked off Evansville), and it marked the final time a Division I men’s opponent would visit Regents Hall. LATE-SEASON RUN: NKU captured the GLVC East Division title last season with a 13-6 record. The Norse later advanced to the GLVC Tournament championship game against Southern Indiana and dropped a 63-61 decision. NKU earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament and knocked off Drury in the opening round by a 73-68 score. The Norse then stunned top-seeded Findlay, 60-56, in the regional semifinals, ending the Oilers’ 59-game home winning streak. Grand Valley State defeated NKU in the regional championship game, 66-42. NORSE OPEN REGULAR SEASON AGAINST UC-CLERMONT: NKU begins the regular season at 7:45 p.m. Nov. 16 against UC-Clermont in the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic in Regents Hall. The next night, NKU will meet Division II national powerhouse Findlay at 7:45 p.m. in the final game of the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic. Wed.,
Oct. 31
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