Dec. 17, 2000

NKU TO HOST SHAWNEE STATE

Norse (9-0) look to remain unbeaten

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team is 9-0 after posting a 94-87 win over the University of Indianapolis on Dec. 5 in Regents Hall. The Norse are ranked No. 4 nationally in the Division II Bulletin poll and No. 1 in the Great Lakes Region poll. NKU will play a non-conference game against Shawnee State University at 7:45 p.m. this Monday night (Dec. 18) in Regents Hall. FAST START: NKU’s 9-0 start is the best since the 1996-97 season, when the Norse began the year with 12 consecutive victories. The streak was snapped at Owensboro, Ky., when Kentucky Wesleyan posted a 75-74 victory against the Norse. REGENTS HALL STREAK: NKU enters Monday night with a 21-game winning streak in Regents Hall. The Norse were unbeaten (14-0) last season at home. NKU is 5-0 this season in Regents Hall. The last team to beat NKU in Regents Hall was the University of Indianapolis, which posted an 81-71 victory over the Norse on Feb. 9, 1999. NEARING 1,000: NKU junior guard/forward Craig Sanders now has scored 982 career points and needs to score 18 against Shawnee State to join the NKU 1,000-point club. NON-CONFERENCE STREAK: NKU has not lost to a non-conference team in Regents Hall since Central State posted an 86-82 win over the Norse on Nov. 21, 1998, in the championship game of the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Tournament. Since that loss to Central State, NKU has won seven straight games against non-conference foes in Regents Hall. CAREER SCORING UPDATE: NKU senior guard Craig Conley has scored 1,178 career points and ranks No. 15 on the NKU all-time scoring list. ABOUT SHAWNEE STATE: The Bears own a 7-5 record after posting a 95-82 win against Cedarville (Ohio) University on Saturday. Shawnee State is a member of the NAIA. The Bears are led by junior center Jay Hall, who averages 19.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Hall is also shooting 55 percent from the field. Hall led Shawnee State this past Saturday against Cedarville with 31 points and eight rebounds. The Bears own a 3-2 record on the road this season, and they are 1-2 on neutral floors. One of Shawnee State’s road losses was a 97-86 setback at NCAA Division I Eastern Kentucky University in early December. THE LAST TIME AGAINST SHAWNEE STATE: On Nov. 23, 1999, Craig Conley scored 16 points as NKU rolled past Shawnee State, 91-58, in Regents Hall. The Norse rallied from an early 15-5 deficit by making 10 of 23 three-point attempts before halftime. NKU used a 46-14 run in the final 12 minutes of the first half to take a 51-29 lead into halftime. The Norse also forced Shawnee State into 17 first-half turnovers. Conley, Brian Lawhon (13 points), Scott Marston (9 points) and Brenden Stowers (11 points) all made a trio of three-point shots against Shawnee State. The Norse finished 14 of 39 as a team from three-point range. Jay Hall led Shawnee State with 18 points.