Pat Cary

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team will play host to Lewis University at 7:45 p.m. Thursday in Regents Hall.

NKU, 5-2 overall, is 2-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Lewis is 3-4 overall, 0-4 in the GLVC.

NKU will also meet Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville at 3:15 p.m. Saturday in Regents Hall. SIUE is 7-2 overall, and the Cougars lead the GLVC with a 3-0 record.

The Norse are coming off a 90-77 win at Saint Joseph’s. Derek Smith and Pat Cary combined for 44 points and 15 rebounds to lead NKU. Smith scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Cary added 20 points and eight rebounds for the Norse.

NKU built a 54-32 halftime lead by shooting 75 percent (21-for-28) from the field. The Norse also shot 77.8 percent from behind the three-point arc in the first half.

Smith leads NKU in scoring at 13.4 points per game, and he averages a team-best 5.4 rebounds. He is also shooting 51.6 percent from the field and has converted 80.6 percent of his free throws.

NKU freshman forward Harrison Morton averages 13.0 ppg and is shooting 53.4 percent from the field.

THE LAST TIME AGAINST LEWIS: On Feb. 14, 2004, in Ken Shields’ final appearance as head coach in Regents Hall, NKU rallied from a 12-point deficit in the second half to stun Lewis, 93-90, in triple overtime.

After Demitrius Hunter hit a short jumper with 9.4 seconds left in the third overtime to give Lewis a 90-89 lead, NKU rushed the ball down the court. Sean Rowland drove and drew two Lewis defenders his way, and he found Pat Cary all alone underneath the basket.

Cary was fouled by Monta McGhee with 1.1 seconds remaining on the clock, and he made both free throws to give NKU a 91-90 advantage.

Lewis attempted a long pass on the ensuing inbound play, but the ball was thrown out of bounds and NKU regained possession underneath its own basket. Cary sealed the win by taking a pass from Rowland and scoring a layup at the buzzer for the 93-90 final.

Cary finished with 23 points and 18 rebounds for the Norse.

THE LAST TIME AGAINST SIUE: On Feb. 12, 2004, Calvin Sykes banked in a 40-foot shot at the buzzer to give SIUE a 66-65 win over NKU in Regents Hall.

NKU took a 65-63 lead with 3.7 seconds remaining when Steve Purdon made an 18-foot jumper from the right side. After a timeout, Sykes received the inbound pass, dribbled just past midcourt and launched a desperation shot from the left sideline.

The shot banked in as the buzzer sounded, giving SIUE its first win in Regents Hall since Feb. 25, 1989.

Sykes scored SIUE's final 13 points of the game and finished with 22. NKU built a 15-point lead three times in the first half, but SIUE rallied and pulled within 31-25 at halftime.

Jesse Rupe scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half, and his three-point play with 20 seconds left gave NKU a 63-61 lead. Sykes countered with a basket with 11 seconds remaining to tie the game at 63-63, but Purdon’s jump shot regained the lead for NKU and set the stage for Sykes’ improbable buzzer-beater.

SIUE never led until Sykes hit a pair of free throws with 6:32 remaining to give the Cougars a 47-46 advantage. Joel Jaye later drained a pair of three-pointers to give SIUE a 53-49 lead with 5:27 left on the clock.

NKU rallied and used a 7-0 run to take a 58-55 lead with 2:32 remaining when Rupe powered in for a dunk. Sykes, however, tied the game at 58-58 when he finished off a conventional three-point play with 1:23 left in the game.