Feb. 4, 2002

NKU FACES CRUCIAL ROAD TRIP

Norse travel to Saint Joseph’s this Thursday night

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team improved to 15-5 last Saturday with a 72-67 win over Lewis University in Regents Hall. The Norse - who have won nine of their last 10 games - are 11-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and in sole possession of second place in the league standings. NKU will travel to Rensselaer, Ind., this Thursday night for an 8:45 p.m. game at Saint Joseph’s College. The Norse will also play at the University of Indianapolis at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Craig Sanders scored 16 points Saturday as NKU defeated Lewis in a GLVC showdown. Sanders also set an NKU record by scoring in double figures for the 40th consecutive game. Brenden Stowers made a pair of free throws with 16 seconds remaining to give the Norse a 69-65 lead. Sanders added a free throw with seven seconds left to extend NKU’s advantage to 70-65, and he sealed the victory by rebounding his missed free throw and hitting a short jumper. Stowers added 14 points and four assists for NKU, which made 85.7 percent of its free throws. Darnell Fields - who scored five key points during an 18-11 run to begin the second half - finished with 11 points and five rebounds. SHIELDS RECOVERING FROM BACK SURGERY: NKU played Saturday without head coach Ken Shields, who underwent back surgery last week. Shields has missed the past four games and NKU is 3-1 during that time. SANDERS NEARS SCORING RECORD: Craig Sanders has already broken two NKU records this season (career three-point field goals and consecutive games in double figures), and the senior guard is closing in on another mark. Sanders enters Thursday night with 1,845 career points, and he needs 136 to become NKU’s all-time career scoring leader. Brady Jackson is currently No. 1 in school history with 1,980 career points. NKU has six regular-season games remaining, and the Norse will play at least one game in the GLVC Tournament. If the Norse play only seven games the rest of the season, Sanders will have to average 19.5 points to break the record. If NKU advances deep into the GLVC or NCAA Tournament, Sanders will probably set the record. He is averaging 19.3 ppg going into Thursday. STOWERS CONTINUES STREAK: NKU junior guard Brenden Stowers extended his streak of consecutive games in double figures to eight Saturday with 14 points. Stowers, who averages 13.4 points per game, leads the Norse with 45 steals and 58 assists. JORDAN POSTS IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS: NKU freshman guard Jordan Stowers has enjoyed back-to-back impressive games for the Norse. He recorded career highs in assists (8) and rebounds (7) during a 90-55 win over Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville last Thursday. Stowers then scored a career-high nine points against Lewis on Saturday. For the season, Stowers has 28 assists and just 11 turnovers ABOUT SAINT JOSEPH’S: The Pumas own a 5-15 record after dropping an 80-66 decision to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Jan. 31. Saint Joseph’s - which was a preseason NCAA Division II Top 25 pick in most polls - is 2-12 in the GLVC. The Pumas are led by senior forward Brent Mason, who averages 15.4 ppg. Sophomore center Corey Seegers is scoring 13.1 ppg and leads the team in rebounding at 5.3 rpg. THE LAST TIME AGAINST SAINT JOSEPH’S: Earlier this season on Jan. 12, Craig Sanders scored 31 points and made two clutch free throws late in the game as NKU defeated Saint Joseph’s, 90-85, in Regents Hall. NKU built a 17-point lead early in the first half, but Saint Joseph’s sliced the deficit to 48-38 at halftime. The Pumas used a 24-9 run in the second half to take a 70-68 lead with 9:48 remaining on a layup by Brent Mason. Saint Joseph’s led by five points (84-79) with 3:29 left, but a pair of free throws from Mike Kelsey followed by a three-pointer by Brenden Stowers tied the game at 84-84. Stowers made a pair of free throws to give NKU an 86-84 lead with 1:36 remaining, and Sanders extended the advantage to 88-84 by making two free throws at the 1:28 mark. Saint Joseph’s scored just one point during the final 3:29 of the game. Carl Mitchell finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots for NKU, which won despite shooting 32.3 percent from the field in the second half. LAST SEASON AT SJC: Saint Joseph’s defeated NKU last season at Rensselaer, Ind., by an 83-79 score. Marvin Smith scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half - including a layup with five seconds remaining that clinched the victory for Saint Joseph’s. ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS: The Greyhounds are 13-8 after posting a 67-54 win over the University of Wisconsin-Parkside last Saturday. Indianapolis is 9-6 in the GLVC. The Greyhounds are led by senior guard Cedric Moodie, who averages 16.8 points. Freshman guard David Logan is scoring 12.0 ppg. THE LAST TIME AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS: Earlier this season on Nov. 29, Carl Mitchell scored 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked four shots as NKU defeated Indianapolis, 76-53, in Regents Hall. Brenden Stowers added 13 points and eight rebounds, and Bobby St-Preux and Craig Sanders also scored in double figures with 12 points apiece. NKU built a 32-24 halftime lead as Mitchell scored eight points and the Norse held Indianapolis to 34.4 percent shooting from the field. In the second half, NKU made 55.2 percent of its shots from the field to roll to the victory. STREAK AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS: NKU has beaten Indianapolis six consecutive times. The Norse have not lost to Indianapolis since Feb. 9, 1999, when the Greyhounds posted an 81-71 win over NKU in Regents Hall.