HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team will play a Great Lakes Valley Conference road game at Saint Joseph’s College this Thursday night at 8:45 p.m. at Rensselaer, Ind.
NKU will conclude its two-game road trip Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. contest at the University of Indianapolis.
NKU improved to 15-11 overall last Saturday with a 93-90 win over Lewis University in Regents Hall. The Norse are now 8-8 in the GLVC and tied for sixth place in the league standings.
Pat Cary came off the bench and scored 23 points, including the last four of the game, as NKU held off Lewis on Saturday.
After Demitrius Hunter hit a short jumper with 9.4 seconds remaining to give Lewis a 90-89 lead, NKU’s Sean Rowland drove and found Cary alone underneath the basket. Cary was fouled with 1.1 seconds left on the clock, and he made a pair of free throws to give NKU a 91-90 lead.
Lewis attempted a long pass on the inbound play that went out of bounds, giving NKU the ball. Cary scored on a layup at the buzzer to seal the win, and NKU head coach Ken Shields collected the victory in his final game in Regents Hall.
Shields, in his 16th and final season with NKU, announced his retirement in October. The Norse also snapped a three-game losing streak.
Jesse Rupe scored 25 points to lead NKU, and Cary added a career-high 18 rebounds for the Norse. Steve Purdon also netted 23 points for NKU.
SHIELDS GOES OUT WINNER AT HOME: Norse head coach Ken Shields concluded his Regents Hall career with a 172-54 record in 16 years. During the past 10 years, Shields guided NKU to a 123-16 (.884) record in Regents Hall.
NKU CONTINUES HOME STREAK AGAINST LEWIS: NKU has now won 11 straight games against Lewis in Regents Hall. Lewis has not defeated NKU in Regents Hall since Feb. 11, 1993, when the Flyers pulled out a 97-88 victory over the Norse.
ABOUT SAINT JOSEPH’S: The Pumas own a 12-11 overall record, including an 8-8 mark in the GLVC. Saint Joseph’s is led by senior center Corey Seegers, who averages 19.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Seegers is also shooting 53.4 percent from the field.
Senior guard Jamie Holden leads the GLVC in assists with 7.27 apg.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST SAINT JOSEPH’S: Earlier this season on Jan. 24, Mike Kelsey and Jesse Rupe combined for 42 points as NKU posted an 86-75 win over Saint Joseph’s in Regents Hall.
Kelsey scored 14 of his 22 points in the second half as NKU rallied from a 45-41 deficit with 19:01 remaining in the game. Rupe, who hit all nine of his attempts from the field, scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half and also added four blocked shots.
Rupe keyed a 22-7 run early in the second half with six points as NKU built a 63-52 lead. Adam Howell and Steve Purdon added five points each during the spurt.
Pat Cary added 12 points and nine rebounds for NKU, which has beaten Saint Joseph's three straight times. Howell finished with 10 points, and Purdon added eight points and seven rebounds.
Corey Seegers led Saint Joseph’s with 22 points and eight rebounds. Derek Fey added 18 points for the Pumas.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS: Earlier this season on Jan. 2, David Logan scored six of his 44 points in overtime as Indianapolis held off NKU, 95-92, in Regents Hall. Logan’s performance offset a school-record 50 points by NKU’s Mike Kelsey, who made nine three-pointers and scored 39 points in the second half.
The Norse rallied from a 17-point deficit in the first half and sent the game into overtime when Kelsey made three free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining in regulation after he was fouled attempting a three-pointer with Indianapolis holding an 83-80 lead.
With 14 seconds left in overtime, Logan converted one of two free throws to give Indianapolis a 95-92 lead. NKU had a final chance to tie, but Jesse Rupe’s three-pointer rimmed out with two seconds left and Indianapolis escaped with the victory.
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Jesse Rupe |