HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team is 22-5 after posting a 76-72 win at Lewis University on Saturday. The Norse enter the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed and will meet No. 6 seed University of Wisconsin-Parkside (13-14) at 3:30 p.m. (EST) this Thursday at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Ind.
The winner of that game will likely face second-seeded University of Southern Indiana - which plays No. 7 seed Saint Joseph’s College in the first round - in the GLVC semifinals at 7 p.m. (EST) Friday. The GLVC championship game is scheduled for 8 p.m. (EST) Saturday night.
Quentin Smith scored 19 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and made two key free throws late in the game Saturday to lead NKU past Lewis. NKU held a 72-69 lead in the final minute when Randy Wright attempted a game-tying three-point shot. Smith grabbed the rebound of Wright’s off-target shot and was fouled with 23 seconds remaining.
Smith converted both free throws to extend NKU’s lead to 74-69, but Monta McGhee responded for Lewis by hitting a three-pointer with 15 seconds left to slice the deficit to 74-72. After Brenden Stowers made one of two free throws with 10 seconds remaining to give NKU a 75-72 advantage, Lewis’ Stan Strong launched a three-point attempt that was off target and rebounded by Mike Kelsey with one second left.
Kelsey - who scored 18 points - made one free throw to seal the victory for NKU, which snapped the Flyers’ 15-game home win streak. Bobby St-Preux added 15 points and five rebounds for NKU, while Stowers finished with 12 points and five assists.
“Q” RACKS UP ANOTHER DOUBLE-DOUBLE: NKU senior forward Quentin Smith recorded his sixth double-double of the season Saturday with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Smith averages 13.8 points per game and a team-leading 7.7 rebounds per game. He is also shooting 55.4 percent from the field.
STOWERS MOVES UP TO 16TH: NKU senior guard Brenden Stowers moved into 16th place on the Norse’s all-time scoring list Saturday with 1,234 career points. Stowers, who leads NKU in scoring at 15.7 ppg, needs just 34 points to move past Brian Lawhon (1,267 points) into 15th place on the NKU all-time scoring list.
Stowers enters the GLVC Tournament having scored in double figures in 15 consecutive games.
SEABROOKS ON TARGET: NKU senior center Chris Seabrooks is shooting 71.4 percent from the field during his last three games. Seabrooks has averaged 11.7 ppg during those three games.
GLVC TOURNAMENT HISTORY: NKU is 4-5 all-time in the GLVC Tournament. Last season, seventh-seeded Wisconsin-Parkside rallied to stun second-seeded NKU, 93-87, in the first round of the GLVC Tournament at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Ind.
Two years ago, NKU defeated Missouri-St. Louis, 82-72, in the first round. The Norse dropped an 84-67 decision to Kentucky Wesleyan in the semifinals.
Three years ago, NKU defeated IPFW in the first round, 96-65. The Norse lost to Southern Indiana, 100-89, in the GLVC semifinals.
Four 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.
Five 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.
NKU has never advanced past the semifinal round of the GLVC Tournament.
ABOUT WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE: The Rangers enter the GLVC Tournament with a 13-14 overall record and a four-game losing streak. Wisconsin-Parkside features senior guard/forward Quincey Moman, who averages 15.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg. Moman has made 34 of 82 three-point attempts this season.
Senior forward Brian Maastricht is scoring 10.8 ppg and leads the Rangers in rebounding at 5.6 rpg. Maastricht also has a team-leading 20 blocked shots. Senior center Glen Barlow averages 8.6 ppg and 5.0 rebounds. He is also shooting 60 percent from the field.
A YEAR AGO IN THE GLVC TOURNAMENT: On Feb. 28, 2002, Brian Maastricht scored 24 of his 30 points in the second half as seventh-seeded Wisconsin-Parkside rallied to stun second-seeded NKU, 93-87, in the first round of the GLVC Tournament at Roberts Stadium. Wisconsin-Parkside became the first No. 7 seed in GLVC Tournament history to win a game.
Quincey Moman added 24 points - 20 in the second half - as the Rangers rallied from a 37-29 halftime deficit. Wisconsin-Parkside shot 64.3 percent from the field in the second half and scored 64 points in the final 20 minutes.
THIS SEASON AGAINST WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE: NKU swept the season series from Wisconsin-Parkside, but the two games were decided by a total of three points.
In their first meeting on Feb. 1, Quentin Smith’s basket with 13.5 seconds remaining in the game lifted NKU to a 76-75 win over Wisconsin-Parkside in Regents Hall. Wisconsin-Parkside held a 75-74 lead when NKU’s Brenden Stowers drove the lane and missed a twisting jumper. Smith, however, grabbed the offensive rebound and powered his way for a layup to give the Norse a 76-75 lead with 13.5 seconds left.
On the final possession of the game, Wisconsin-Parkside’s Brian Maastricht passed the ball underneath the basket to Glen Barlow with less than a second remaining. Barlow’s shot attempt, however, came after the buzzer sounded and his basket was not allowed.
NKU rallied from a 72-66 deficit with 2:49 remaining in the game behind the play of Smith (22 points, 14 rebounds), Stowers (25 points) and Bobby St-Preux, whose basket with 1:18 tied the score at 72-72. Dean Pogodzinski hit a three-pointer with 1:01 left to give Wisconsin-Parkside a 75-72 lead, but Stowers responded with a pair of free throws to bring NKU to within 75-74.
Quincey Moman committed a turnover with 29 seconds left, giving NKU its chance to win the game.
In the rematch at Kenosha, Wis., on Feb. 27, Stowers made two free throws with four seconds remaining in the game as NKU held off Wisconsin-Parkside, 66-64, at the DeSimone Gymnasium. Stowers’ clutch free throws gave NKU a 66-61 lead and proved to be crucial. Moman hit a three-pointer with one second left to cut the NKU advantage to 66-64, but the Norse ran out the clock on the inbound pass.
Wisconsin-Parkside held a 61-60 lead with a 1:25 remaining, but a driving layup by Mike Kelsey gave NKU a 62-61 advantage. Following a Wisconsin-Parkside miss, Smith extended NKU’s lead to 64-61 by rebounding Stowers’ layup attempt and scoring on a stickback.
Moman attempted a three-pointer with 10 seconds left, but the shot was altered by NKU’s Chris Seabrooks and fell short. Stowers rebounded the miss, was fouled and hit the clinching free throws.
Smith led the Norse with 15 points and seven rebounds. Stowers and Seabrooks each added 14 points for NKU, which shot 48.2 percent from the field and won at the DeSimone Gymnasium for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
NKU leads the all-time series with Wisconsin-Parkside, 13-4.
NCAA PAIRINGS ANNOUNCED NEXT MONDAY AFTERNOON: The NCAA Division II Tournament pairings will be announced next Monday (March 10) at 1 p.m. The top eight teams in each of the eight regions will earn berths in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
NKU is ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region and appears to have secured a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky Wesleyan is No. 1 in the poll, followed by No. 2 Michigan Tech and No. 3 Southern Indiana.
The NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional will be held at the site of the No. 1 seed, which will be either Kentucky Wesleyan or Michigan Tech. The dates for the NCAA Tournament are March 14, 15 and 17.
Bobby St-Preux