Jan. 18, 2000

NKU TO MEET IPFW ON THE ROAD

Norse (13-2) play road game at IPFW (7-6) on Thursday

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team is now 13-2 after posting a 92-61 victory against the University of Missouri-St. Louis on Saturday in Regents Hall. The Norse, ranked No. 11 nationally in this week’s Division II Bulletin ratings, are now 5-1 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and in third place in the GLVC standings.

NKU connected on 72 percent of its shots from the field in the second half Saturday to break open a close game and defeat UMSL. The Norse held just a 39-37 halftime lead but used a 30-11 run early in the second half to roll to the easy win. NKU also made 13 of 21 three-point attempts in that game.

NKU has now won five consecutive games (its longest winning streak of the season) and is 7-0 in Regents Hall in 1999-2000. NKU will travel to play at Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday. The Norse will also play at Saint Joseph's College at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night.

Junior guard Craig Conley scored 20 points to lead NKU past UMSL on Saturday. Conley, who averages 10.5 points per game, made a trio of three-pointers against UMSL and scored 14 points in the second half to spark the Norse victory.

Conley also has 50 assists this season, and he is shooting 51.2 percent (21 of 41) from three-point range.

Junior guard Brian Lawhon made 5 of 7 three-point attempts and finished with 19 points on Saturday. Lawhon averages 11.9 ppg, and he has made 36 of 82 (.439) three-point attempts. Lawhon now ranks No. 24 on the Norse’s all-time scoring list with 873 career points.

Lawhon has now made 189 three-point shots in his career to rank No. 4 in school history in that category. Paul Cluxton is No. 1 with 303 career three-pointers, followed by Ryan Schrand (238) and Shannon Minor (228).

Sophomore forward Craig Sanders leads NKU in scoring (13.1 ppg), but he was held to a season-low two points on Saturday. Sanders has made a team-leading 41 three-point shots this season, and he is shooting 43.2 percent from three-point range.

SECOND-HALF SURGE: In the first half of Saturday’s game, NKU allowed UMSL to shoot 65.2 percent from the field, including 7 of 10 from three-point range. In the second half, though, NKU held the Rivermen to just 25.8 percent shooting from the field, including 1 of 14 (.071) from three-point range. NKU, meanwhile, made 72 percent of its shots from the field in the second half to post the easy victory.

LISTERMAN’S ASSISTS: NKU senior point guard Kevin Listerman dished out a season-high eight assists on Saturday and now leads NKU with 53 assists. He also had four steals and five rebounds in the victory against UMSL. For the season, Listerman averages 6.0 ppg, 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.

MARSTON ON TARGET: NKU senior forward Scott Marston scored 11 points on Saturday, and he was 3 of 4 from three-point range. Marston has now made 28 of 68 (.412) three-point attempts this season, and he has scored in double figures in three of his last four games.

ABOUT IPFW: The Mastodons are 7-6 overall (4-3 in the GLVC) after suffering a 108-87 loss at Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday. IPFW allowed KWC’s inside trio of Leroy John, Albert Richardson and Chris Thomas to combine for 57 points and 32 rebounds in that game at the Owensboro Sportscenter.

Senior guard Steve Griffin leads IPFW in scoring at 17.9 ppg. Griffin scored 21 points to pace IPFW in the loss at KWC on Saturday. Griffin has made 29 of 77 three-point attempts this season, and he also has a team-leading 27 steals.

Sophomore forward Nick Wise averages 15.2 ppg and 5.1 rebounds. Wise was held to just six points against KWC. Freshman guard Brad Noll averages 11.0 ppg off the bench for IPFW, and senior guard Benji Gibbs is scoring 10.8 ppg.

THE LAST TIME AGAINST IPFW: On Feb. 11, 1999, Craig Conley scored 18 points as NKU held off IPFW, 65-62, in Regents Hall. IPFW’s Steve Griffin missed a potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer as NKU escaped with the victory.

NKU has won nine consecutive games against IPFW, and the Norse have not lost to the Mastodons since the 1994-95 season. IPFW’s last win against NKU came on Jan. 12, 1995, when the Mastodons held off the Norse, 84-75, at the Gates Sports Center. IPFW jumped out to a 16-0 lead in that game and withstood a late NKU rally to post the win.

Ryan Schrand scored 19 points to lead NKU in that game, and Shannon Minor added 15 points for the Norse.