Feb. 21, 2001

NORSE PLAY UM-ST. LOUIS ON THURSDAY

NKU now 22-5 after win at Bellarmine

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team is 22-5 after posting a 90-74 win over Bellarmine University last Saturday night at Louisville, Ky. The Norse are 13-5 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and in third place. NKU is also ranked No. 15 nationally in the latest Division II poll. NKU will play host to the University of Missouri-St. Louis at 7:45 p.m. this Thursday night, and the Norse will close out their 2000-01 home season at 3:15 p.m. Saturday against Quincy (Ill.) University. Craig Sanders scored 23 points Saturday night to lead NKU. Brenden Stowers added 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists. The Norse made 12 of 26 three-point attempts and won the rebounding battle by a 40-29 margin. Brian Lawhon made four three-point shots and added 13 points for NKU, and Todd Clark scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds. NORSE CONTINUE STREAK AGAINST BELLARMINE: After posting a 90-74 victory at Bellarmine on Saturday, NKU has now won 13 straight games against the Knights. Bellarmine’s last victory against NKU came on February 3, 1994, when the Knights escaped with a 73-72 victory at Regents Hall. CONLEY MOVES CLOSER TO RECORD: NKU senior guard Craig Conley has 476 assists going into Thursday's game, and he has an outside chance of breaking the NKU all-time record of 529 (held by Shannon Minor) by the end of the season. Conley needs 54 assists to become the Norse’s all time leader in that category. STOWERS HAS CAREER GAME: NKU sophomore guard Brenden Stowers, who started for just the second time this season during the Norse’s win at Bellarmine on Saturday, pulled down a career-high nine rebounds against the Knights. NO. 1 IN THE GLVC: NKU ranks No. 1 in the GLVC in three-pointers made with an average of 9.0 per game. GLVC TOURNAMENT TO START ON MARCH 1: The NKU men's basketball team will play its first GLVC Tournament game on Thursday, March 1, at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Ind. The times and seeding for the GLVC Tournament will be announced this Sunday night (Feb. 25). NKU is likely to be the No. 3 seed in the GLVC Tournament and will play the No. 6 seed - either Missouri-St. Louis, Lewis or Indianapolis - in the first round. ABOUT UM-ST. LOUIS: The Rivermen are 13-11 after defeating Saint Joseph’s College, 67-53, last Saturday at St. Louis, Mo. UM-St. Louis is 9-9 in the GLVC and tied for fifth place. Greg Ross leads UM-St. Louis in scoring at 14.8 points per game. Ross also leads the Rivermen with 49 assists. Michael Coleman is second on the team in scoring (11.2 ppg) and averages 6.6 rebounds per game. Anthony Love is coring 10.4 ppg and leads UM-St. Louis in three-pointers made with 46. THE LAST TIME AGAINST UM-ST. LOUIS: Earlier this season on Jan. 27 at St. Louis, Mo., Craig Sanders scored 18 points as NKU defeated the UM-St. Louis, 78-66, at the Mark Twain Building. Todd Clark added 17 points and six rebounds, and Craig Conley recorded a double-double for NKU with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Brian Lawhon added 11 points for the Norse, who connected on 22 of 23 free throws and made 10 of 20 three-point attempts. NKU made eight three-point shots in the second half to break open a close game.