Feb. 14, 2001

NKU MEETS KWC IN GLVC SHOWDOWN

Norse attempt to sweep season series from No. 5 Panthers

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team is 21-4 after defeating the University of Indianapolis, 96-66, Tuesday night at Nicoson Hall. The Norse are 12-4 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and in third place in the league standings. NKU will travel to Owensboro, Ky., Thursday night for an 8:30 p.m. game against Kentucky Wesleyan College. NKU is ranked No. 15 nationally in the latest Division II poll, and Kentucky Wesleyan is No. 5 in the national rankings. Craig Sanders and Brian Lawhon both scored 18 points Tuesday night to lead NKU past Indianapolis. Lawhon made all six of his three-point attempts for NKU, who have now beaten Indianapolis five consecutive times and have won two straight years at Nicoson Hall. NKU made 14 of 24 three-point attempts and shot 63.6 percent from the field. The Norse built a 51-28 halftime lead and coasted to the victory. Todd Clark added 16 points and nine rebounds for NKU, and Brenden Stowers scored 12 points. SCORING MACHINE: NKU junior forward Craig Sanders has scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games (19.5 points per game during that streak), and he leads the Norse in scoring at 16.6 ppg. Sanders, who has scored at least 20 points in nine games this season, averages 17.9 ppg against GLVC opponents. Sanders also leads the team in three-pointers made (78) and three-point attempts (181). He is shooting 43.1 percent from three-point range. LAWHON HAS HUGE GAME AGAINST INDY: NKU senior guard Brian Lawhon scored in double figures (18 points) Tuesday night for the first time in three weeks. Lawhon was perfect from the field - making all six shots from three-point range - en route to the 18-point performance. Lawhon is shooting 47.9 percent from three-point range. CONLEY’S ASSISTS: NKU senior guard Craig Conley has 464 career assists, and he has an outside chance of breaking the NKU all-time record of 529 (held by Shannon Minor). Conley needs 66 assists to become the Norse’s all-time leader in that category. ABOUT KENTUCKY WESLEYAN: The Panthers are 19-3 after posting an 81-67 win over Bellarmine University on Tuesday. Kentucky Wesleyan is 13-3 in the GLVC and in second place. Kentucky Wesleyan features five players who score in double figures, led by senior guard Lorico Duncan's 13.7 ppg average. Junior forward Ronald Evans averages 13.0 ppg, and junior forward Chris Landry is scoring 11.9 ppg. OWENSBORO JINX: NKU has not beaten Kentucky Wesleyan in the Owensboro Sportscenter since Feb. 11, 1988, when the Norse posted a 93-85 victory over the Panthers. Since then, NKU has dropped 13 consecutive games to KWC - including a 66-62 decision last season in the NCAA Division II Tournament - in the Owensboro Sportscenter. NKU head coach Ken Shields is 0-13 against KWC in the Owensboro Sportscenter. NKU has won twice in the Owensboro Sportscenter in the NCAA Tournament against teams other than Kentucky Wesleyan - victories over Northern Michigan (2000) and Ferris State (1998). THE LAST TIME AGAINST KENTUCKY WESLEYAN: On Jan. 20, at Highland Heights, Ky., Todd Clark scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds as NKU defeated Kentucky Wesleyan College, 106-86, in Regents Hall. Clark scored 11 points in the first half as NKU built a 51-29 lead. The Norse made 58.6 percent of their shots from the field in the first half and limited Kentucky Wesleyan to 38.5 percent shooting from the field. Craig Sanders scored 17 of his 20 points after halftime, including a trio of three-pointers in the opening four minutes of the second half. NKU built a 77-48 lead midway through the second half and coasted to the win. Brenden Stowers added 16 points, and Brian Lawhon scored 14 points for the Norse. Carl Mitchell added 11 points and two blocked shots. It was NKU’s largest margin of victory ever against Kentucky Wesleyan. THE LAST TIME NKU SWEPT KENTUCKY WESLEYAN: NKU has not swept a season series from Kentucky Wesleyan since the 1987-88 season. That year, the Norse posted a 103-102 win against the Panthers in Regents Hall, and NKU completed the sweep with a 93-85 victory at the Owensboro Sportscenter.