Feb. 26, 2001

NKU TO MEET UMSL IN GLVC TOURNAMENT

NKU enters GLVC Tournament with 24-5 record

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team is 24-5 after defeating Quincy (Ill.) University, 110-91, Saturday in Regents Hall. The Norse finished 15-5 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and are the No. 3 seed in the GLVC Tournament. NKU will meet No. 6 seed University of Missouri-St. Louis (14-12) at 3:30 p.m. (EST) this Thursday (March 1) at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Ind., in the first round. If the Norse defeat Missouri-St. Louis, they will meet either No. 2 seed Kentucky Wesleyan or No. 7 seed Lewis at 9:30 p.m. Friday night in the GLVC semifinals. Craig Conley scored 21 points and collected 11 assists Saturday to lead NKU. It was Conley’s second straight double-double. Brian Lawhon added 22 points for the Norse, who are ranked No. 13 nationally in the Division II poll. Conley now has 501 career assists, and he needs 29 to break the NKU all-time record of 529 (held by Shannon Minor). CONLEY NAMED GLVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Craig Conley averaged 21 points and 12.5 assists last week to earn GLVC Player of the Week honors. Conley scored 21 points and collected a school-record 14 assists last Thursday night as NKU defeated Missouri-St. Louis, 96-70, in Regents Hall. He later scored 21 points and collected 11 assists Saturday as the Norse defeated Quincy, 110-91. Conley also shot 68.4 percent from the field in the two wins and made 77.8 percent of his three-point attempts. ONE ASSIST FROM A SINGLE-SEASON RECORD: Craig Conley enters the GLVC Tournament needing one assist to break the NKU single-season record. Conley currently has 176 assists, which ties him with Shannon Minor (set in 1996-97) for the most in a season. CAREER GAME FOR CLARK: NKU senior forward Todd Clark grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds against Quincy last Saturday. The NKU single-game record for rebounds is 24, set by Marvin Johnson on Feb. 1, 1972, against Campbellsville. SANDERS KEEPS STREAK ALIVE: NKU junior forward Craig Sanders has now scored in double figures in 15 consecutive games. The last time Sanders did not score in double figures was on Jan. 6 against Southern Indiana. Sanders has averaged 18.7 points per game during the double-figure streak. BOMBS AWAY: During its last two games, NKU has made 31 of 59 (52.5 percent) three-point attempts. NKU made 17 of 34 three-point attempts against Quincy. The NKU single-game record for three-pointers made is 18, set against Oakland City during the 1991-92 season. GLVC TOURNAMENT HISTORY: NKU is 3-3 all-time in the GLVC Tournament. Last season, NKU defeated IPFW in the first round, 96-65. The Norse lost to Southern Indiana, 100-89, in the GLVC semifinals. Two years ago, the Norse defeated Indianapolis, 60-48, in the first round of the GLVC Tournament. NKU then lost to Kentucky Wesleyan, 111-70, in the GLVC semifinals. Three years ago, NKU knocked off Indianapolis, 85-76, in the first round of the GLVC Tournament in Regents Hall. The Norse lost to Southern Indiana, 79-78, in the GLVC semifinals at Owensboro, Ky. ABOUT UM-ST. LOUIS: The Rivermen are 14-12 after posting a 72-69 win at the University of Indianapolis last Saturday. Senior guard Greg Ross leads Missouri-St. Louis in scoring at 14.7 ppg. Ross scored 20 on Saturday to lead the Rivermen past Indianapolis. Senior forward Michael Coleman averages 11.2 ppg and a team-leading 6.3 rebounds per contest. THE LAST TIME AGAINST UM-ST. LOUIS: Last Thursday night at Regents Hall, Craig Conley scored 21 points and collected a school-record 14 assists as NKU defeated Missouri-St. Louis, 96-70. Conley - who had shared the previous school record of 13 assists with Terrance Moorman - also made four three-point shots for NKU. NKU built a 58-36 halftime lead by shooting 74.1 percent from the field and making 11 of 15 three-point attempts. NKU also committed just one turnover before halftime. Carl Mitchell added 19 points for NKU, and Craig Sanders scored 14 points. The Norse shot 64.2 percent from the field for the game. NKU also defeated Missouri-St. Louis on the road earlier this season, 78-66. Craig Sanders scored 18 points in that game. Todd Clark added 17 points and six rebounds, and Craig Conley recorded a double-double for NKU with 14 points and 10 rebounds.