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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Northern Kentucky University plays host to Bellarmine at 7:45 p.m. Saturday as part of the 2008 Homecoming in Regents Hall. NKU enters Saturday with a 16-3 overall record and is ranked No. 22 nationally in the latest NCAA Division II poll. Click here for complete national poll. The Norse are 10-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and in first place in the GLVC East Division. NKU is also No. 5 in the latest NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region poll. Bellarmine is 13-7 overall, 7-5 in the GLVC. NORSE RALLY: Harrison Morton, Vincent Humphrey and Anthony Teague combined for 47 points as NKU rallied to defeat Wisconsin-Parkside, 74-67, last Saturday in Regents Hall. Morton finished with 17 points, while Humphrey and Teague each scored 15. Wisconsin-Parkside led 59-57 with 6:29 remaining, but a Morton jump shot tied the game. Humphrey’s jumper with 4:15 remaining gave the Norse a 61-59 advantage they would not relinquish. Morton hit another jumper with 3:32 left for a 63-59 edge. Scott Bibbins’ 3-pointer from the baseline off an assist from Morton with 2:10 remaining extended the lead to 66-60. GLVC FORMAT: If the Norse win the GLVC East title or finish second, they will host a first-round GLVC Tournament game March 4 in Regents Hall. The semifinals and finals will then be played at the highest remaining seed. The GLVC Tournament had been held in Evansville, Ind., the past nine years in Roberts Stadium. A YOUNG 71: NKU head coach Dave Bezold owns a 71-38 record with the Norse. He became the fastest NKU coach in history to reach 70 wins last week when the Norse defeated Lewis. NATION’S BEST: NKU’s David McFarland leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 7.10. The Boone County High School graduate has dished out 71 assists this season with only 10 turnovers. NATION’S BEST, PART 2: As a team, NKU leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.54. The Norse have 303 assists and 197 turnovers this season. FREE POINTS: NKU sophomore guard Scott Bibbins has made a GLVC-leading 93.9 percent of his free throws. Bibbins is 46-for-49 going into Saturday’s game. He also averages 9.1 points per game. ABOUT BELLARMINE: The Knights feature senior center Dzaflo Larkai, who averages 16.0 ppg and 5.1 rebounds. He is also shooting 66.3 percent from the field. Senior forward Jamie Jackson is scoring 12.7 ppg, while senior guard Adam Brames averages 12.2 ppg. THE LAST TIME AGAINST BELLARMINE: On Feb. 19, 2007, NKU wrapped up the GLVC East Division championship by outlasting Bellarmine in overtime, 91-82, in Regents Hall. Bellarmine appeared to be in control when Brandon Clifford hit a 3-pointer with 10.2 seconds remaining to take a 69-68 lead. NKU’s Billy Finnell, however, drove the length of the court and attempted a double-clutching layup. Finnell was fouled going up, and he hit the first of two free throws with 5.3 seconds remaining to force overtime. In the extra frame, NKU hit 12-of-15 free throws to ice the game. Sixteen of Kevin Schappell's 18 points came in the second half, while Vincent Humphrey added 18 points and a team-leading nine rebounds. Finnell led NKU with a career-high 21 points. Steven Wright chipped in 17 points, while James Cripe added 12 points. Clifford scored 25 of his game-high 27 points for Bellarmine in the second half and overtime. In their first meeting last season at Louisville, Ky., Clifford scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as Bellarmine defeated NKU, 78-66. Cripe led NKU with 17 points. BOBBLEHEAD NIGHT: On Feb. 14, fans will receive a free bobblehead doll of NKU president Dr. James Votruba during the Norse’s doubleheader against Saint Joseph’s in Regents Hall.
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