Jan. 8, 2001

NKU TO MEET IPFW THURSDAY NIGHT

Norse now 13-1 after losing at Southern Indiana

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team is 13-1 after dropping a 90-75 decision to the University of Southern Indiana this past Saturday night at Evansville, Ind. The Norse remain ranked No. 4 nationally in the Division II Bulletin poll. Marlowe Currie scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Southern Indiana. NKU made just two of 22 three-point shots and was held to 39.2 percent shooting from the field. Southern Indiana built a 40-29 halftime lead as Currie scored 16 points and Derrick Lyons added 10 during the first 20 minutes. NKU made just 28.6 percent of its shots from the field in the first half and converted only nine of 17 free throws. In the second half, Southern Indiana used a 22-5 run to build a 75-51 lead and coasted to the victory. Carl Mitchell led NKU with 19 points, and Craig Conley added 15 points and six assists. Adam Norwell added 11 points and 11 rebounds for NKU, and Brenden Stowers scored 12 points. The loss snapped NKU’s best-ever start of 13 straight wins. NKU is now 4-1 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and tied for third place in the standings. NKU will play road games this week at GLVC rivals Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne (7:45 p.m. Thursday) and Saint Joseph’s College (4:15 p.m. Saturday). CONLEY CLOSES IN ON FLEMING: NKU senior guard Craig Conley has scored 1,253 career points, which ranks No. 13 in Norse history. He needs 23 points to pass Dan Fleming - Conley’s prep coach at LaSalle High School in Cincinnati - for 12th place in Norse history. Fleming finished his career at NKU with 1,275 points. Conley also has 411 career assists, which ranks No. 4 in Norse history. He needs 10 more assists to move into third place ahead of Craig Wilhoit (420 assists) on the NKU all-time list. NORWELL GETS ANOTHER DOUBLE-DOUBLE: NKU senior center Adam Norwell recorded his second straight double-double Saturday night by scoring 11 points and collecting 11 rebounds in the loss at Southern Indiana. Norwell averages 10.2 ppg and a team-leading 6.1 rebounds per game. MITCHELL ON TARGET: NKU junior forward Carl Mitchell scored in double figures for the seventh straight game Saturday by leading the Norse with 19 points. Mitchell is NKU’s top scorer at 14.6 points per game. He also leads the team in rebounding at 7.4 rebounds per game and in blocked shots with 23. ABOUT IPFW: The Mastodons are 4-11 overall after suffering a 74-67 loss to Bellarmine University this past Saturday. IPFW held a 35-30 halftime lead in that game, but Bellarmine shot 68.2 percent from the field during the second half to post the comeback victory. IPFW is led by junior forward Nick Wise, who averages 16.6 ppg. Wise leads IPFW in three-pointers made with 42, and he also shoots 74.1 percent from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Brad Noll averages 14.7 ppg and has made 33 three-point shots. Junior forward Matt Shepherd is scoring 11.5 ppg and averages 6.4 rebounds per game. IPFW enters Thursday’s contest against NKU in the midst of a five-game losing streak. The Mastodons have not won since Dec. 22, when they posted a 76-49 victory over Sacred Heart. THE LAST TIME AGAINST IPFW: On March 2, 2000, in the first round of the GLVC Tournament at Evansville, Ind., NKU rolled to a 96-65 win over IPFW. Zach Wieber scored a career-high 19 points to lead NKU. NKU also won both regular-season games last season against IPFW. The Norse defeated IPFW at Fort Wayne, Ind., 92-74, as Craig Conley scored 21 points. NKU also won the rematch at Highland Heights, Ky., by rallying for a 68-63 victory. Scott Marston scored 21 points for the Norse in that game. STREAK AGAINST IPFW: NKU has won 12 consecutive games against IPFW, and the Norse have not lost to the Mastodons since the 1994-95 season. IPFW’s last win against NKU came on Jan. 12, 1995, when the Mastodons held off the Norse, 84-75, at the Gates Sports Center in Fort Wayne, Ind. THE SERIES WITH SAINT JOSEPH’S: NKU will also visit Rensselaer, Ind., on Saturday to meet Saint Joseph’s College. NKU leads the all-time series with Saint Joseph’s, 26-9. The Norse have beaten Saint Joseph’s 12 consecutive times going into Saturday's game. NKU has not lost to Saint Joseph’s since the 1993-94 season, when the Pumas posted an 83-74 victory against the Norse at Rensselaer, Ind.