HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team will close out the 2002-03 home season this Saturday night with a 7:45 p.m. game against the University of Indianapolis.
NKU, ranked No. 19 nationally in the latest NCAA Division II poll and No. 5 in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region poll, is 19-5 overall after dropping a 71-68 decision to Kentucky Wesleyan College last Saturday in Regents Hall. The Norse are 13-4 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
NKU - which entered last week riding a 20-game home win streak - has now lost two straight in Regents Hall. The Norse also lost an 87-85 overtime decision to the University of Southern Indiana on Feb. 13.
NORSE LOOK TO STOP STREAK: NKU must defeat Indianapolis on Saturday to avoid losing three straight home games for the first time since the 1993-94 season, when the Norse dropped consecutive contests in Regents Hall against Bellarmine (73-72), Kentucky State (109-86) and Indianapolis (92-90).
FREE THROW WOES: NKU’s missed free throws late in the game (five misses in the final 1:22 of regulation) were costly against Southern Indiana on Feb. 13, and the Norse made just 10 of 19 from the line (52.6 percent) in the second half Saturday during a 71-68 setback against Kentucky Wesleyan.
NKU is shooting 71.1 percent as a team from the line.
STOWERS NEARS 1,200 POINTS: NKU senior guard Brenden Stowers enters Saturday night with 1,195 career points, which ranks No. 18 in Norse history. Stowers, who averages 16.0 points per game, needs just 14 points to pass Mike Hofmeyer (1,208 points) for 17th place in Norse history.
Stowers also needs just 36 points to move past Shannon Minor (1,230 points) into 16th place on the NKU all-time scoring list.
In addition, Stowers needs just one free throw attempt to become the Norse’s single-season leader in that category. He enters Saturday's game with 185 attempts this season, which ties Brady Jackson's mark that was set during the 1982-83 season.
Stowers has scored in double figures in 12 consecutive games, and he ranks No. 7 in the GLVC in assists (3.96 apg). He also ranks No. 5 in steals (1.71 spg) and No. 5 in free throw percentage (.832).
STREAK CONTINUES FOR KELSEY: NKU sophomore guard Mike Kelsey extended his streak of consecutive games scoring in double figures to 16 last Saturday with 16 points against Kentucky Wesleyan. Kelsey averages 14.3 ppg, and he leads NKU in three-pointers made with 60.
“Q” CONTINUES TO MAKE IMPACT: NKU senior forward Quentin Smith ranks No. 6 in the GLVC in rebounding at 7.6 rpg, and he is No. 10 in field goal percentage at 55.8 percent. Smith is also No. 13 in the GLVC in scoring at 13.6 ppg.
ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS: The Greyhounds, who play at Bellarmine University on Thursday, are 16-7 overall. Indianapolis is 11-5 in the GLVC.
Indianapolis is led by sophomore guard David Logan, who averages 19.0 ppg. Logan recorded his 11th 20-point output of the season with a game-high 22 points against Missouri-St. Louis last week. Junior center Jason Wright averages 13.1 ppg and 9.1 rebounds, and he leads the GLVC in field goal accuracy at 67.5 percent.
Junior forward Rodney Rollins scored a career-high 28 points against Southern Indiana on Saturday, and he is 10th in the GLVC in scoring (15.3 ppg).
THE LAST TIME AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS: Earlier this season on Jan. 2, Ryan Hixson made two free throws with 4.4 seconds remaining in the game to give Indianapolis a 73-72 win over NKU in Nicoson Hall.
After Hixson converted the two free throws, NKU’s Jordan Stowers drove the length of the floor and attempted a driving layup. The shot, however, rolled around the rim and fell out as the buzzer sounded.
NKU held a 62-55 lead with eight minutes remaining, but Indianapolis used the scoring of Hixson (22 points) and David Logan (18 points) to forge a 70-69 advantage with 2:52 left. A layup by Quentin Smith gave NKU a 72-70 lead with 2:11 remaining in the game, but the Norse missed four consecutive free throws in the final minute to give Indianapolis its opportunity to win.
Hixson was fouled with 4.4 seconds remaining after grabbing an offensive rebound, setting the stage for Stowers’ last-second miss. Hixson also had a game-high 10 rebounds.
Mike Kelsey scored 18 points to lead NKU. Smith added 15 points, and Bobby St-Preux finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. NKU shot 49.1 percent from the field, but the Norse committed 19 turnovers and made just 13 off 22 free throws. Indianapolis connected on 45.5 percent of its shots from the field and made 22 of 31 free throws.
REGENTS HALL STREAK AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS: NKU has won three straight games against Indianapolis in Regents Hall. The Greyhounds have not defeated the Norse in Regents Hall since the 1998-99 season.
Brenden Stowers