HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team will play host to Saint Joseph’s College at 7:45 p.m. this Thursday night in Regents Hall.
NKU will also play host to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside at 3:15 p.m. Saturday. Both games can be heard live on WTSJ (1050 AM).
The Norse own a 15-3 overall record, and NKU is in sole possession of first place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference with a 9-2 record. Kentucky Wesleyan College (15-2 overall, 8-2 GLVC) trails NKU by one-half game in the GLVC standings.
NKU is coming off a 75-68 win over Bellarmine University last Thursday night. Quentin Smith scored 10 of his 17 points in the second half as NKU posted the victory. Brenden Stowers added 17 points as the Norse rallied from a nine-point deficit.
Bellarmine held a 32-23 lead with 4:28 left before halftime, but NKU finished with a 10-4 run to close within 36-33 at the break. The Norse made just 35.7 percent of their shots from the field in the first half. Bellarmine still held a 52-51 lead with 9:12 remaining in the game, but a Smith inside basket followed by a conventional three-point play by Mike Kelsey gave NKU a 56-55 advantage.
The Norse led the remainder of the game, as Stowers and Bobby St-Preux - who made a pair of three-point shots in the last four minutes - combined for 14 of NKU’s final 17 points.
NKU has beaten Bellarmine 17 consecutive times. Bellarmine’s last victory against NKU came on Feb. 3, 1994, when the Knights escaped with a 73-72 win in Regents Hall.
HOME WIN STREAK GROWS: NKU has now won 18 consecutive games in Regents Hall. The 18-game home win streak ranks No. 4 nationally in NCAA Division II men’s basketball. The Norse - 9-0 at home this season - have not lost in Regents Hall since Dec. 6, 2001, when Kentucky Wesleyan posted a 64-62 win over NKU.
STOWERS CLIMBS SCORING LIST: Senior guard Brenden Stowers is now No. 20 on the all-time NKU scoring list with 1,094 career points. Stowers leads NKU in scoring at 15.8 points per game, and he has made 107 of 134 (79.9 percent) free throw attempts. He also ranks No. 1 on the team in assists (3.44 apg) and steals (1.89 spg).
STREAK CONTINUES FOR KELSEY: NKU sophomore guard Mike Kelsey extended his streak of consecutive games scoring in double figures to 10 straight last Thursday night by pouring in 14 points against Bellarmine. Kelsey averages 14.5 ppg, and he leads NKU in three-pointers made with 46.
ST-PREUX IN THE CLUTCH: NKU senior forward Bobby St-Preux connected on a pair of key three-point shots to seal the win over Bellarmine. St-Preux’s second three-pointer came with 58 seconds remaining in regulation and gave the Norse a 72-66 lead. St-Preux averages 10.2 ppg.
NKU’S BLOCK PARTY: NKU has recorded 58 blocked shots this season, compared to just 36 by the opposition. Bobby St-Preux leads the Norse with 21 blocks, while Chris Seabrooks ranks No. 2 with 16 blocked shots. Jesse Rupe is third on the team with 11 rejections.
ABOUT SAINT JOSEPH’S: The Pumas are 8-10 after suffering a 109-83 loss to Kentucky Wesleyan last Saturday. Saint Joseph’s is 4-7 in the GLVC.
Saint Joseph’s features junior center Corey Seegers, who averages 19.2 ppg and 7.8 rebounds per contest. Seegers is also shooting 56.7 percent from the field. Senior guard Hodges Smith is scoring 16.0 ppg, while junior guards Jamie Holden and Greg Muller both average 10.1 ppg.
Saint Joseph’s averages 83.5 ppg, and the Pumas have made 116 of 320 three-point attempts this season.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST SAINT JOSEPH’S: Earlier this season on Jan. 4, Jesse Rupe’s rebound basket with 4.8 seconds remaining in the game gave NKU a 100-99 win over Saint Joseph’s College at the Scharf Alumni Fieldhouse at Rensselaer, Ind. Brenden Stowers scored a career-high 35 points as NKU rallied from an 18-point deficit in the second half to post the victory.
With 10 seconds remaining in the game and Saint Joseph’s holding a 99-98 lead, Stowers missed a pair of free throws. Rupe, however, chased down the offensive rebound and hit a short jumper to give the Norse a 100-99 advantage with 4.8 seconds left.
Hodges Smith - who scored 34 points to lead Saint Joseph’s - had a final shot to win the game for the Pumas, but his three-point attempt was off target at the buzzer. Stowers made 15 of 20 free throws and connected on four three-point shots. He also had three assists and four steals.
Saint Joseph’s began the second half with an 18-6 run to build a 63-45 lead with 14:31 remaining in the game. Stowers and Mike Kelsey (24 points), however, keyed a 22-12 NKU spurt that sliced the deficit to 75-67 with 8:09 left.
NKU trailed 99-96 with 27 seconds left, but Stowers made two free throws to bring the Norse within 99-98. The Norse fouled Noel Raney with 13 seconds remaining, and Raney missed both free throw attempts. Stowers rebounded the second miss and was fouled by Raney with 10 seconds left. He missed both free throws, setting the stage for Rupe’s offensive rebound and winning shot.
ABOUT WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE: The Rangers own a 10-8 overall record after dropping an 80-72 decision to the University of Southern Indiana on Saturday. Wisconsin-Parkside is 5-6 in the GLVC.
The Rangers feature senior guard/forward Quincey Moman, who averages 16.6 ppg and 5.2 rebounds per game. Moman also has made 22 of 54 three-point attempts. Senior forward Brian Maastricht averages 10.3 ppg and 6.2 rpg.
THE LAST TIME AGAINST WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE: On Feb. 28, 2002, Brian Maastricht scored 24 of his 30 points in the second half as seventh-seeded Wisconsin-Parkside rallied to stun second-seeded NKU, 93-87, in the first round of the GLVC Tournament at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Ind.
Wisconsin-Parkside became the first No. 7 seed in GLVC Tournament history to win a game, and that loss ended NKU’s hope of earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Quincey Moman added 24 points - 20 in the second half - as the Rangers rallied from a 37-29 halftime deficit. Wisconsin-Parkside shot 64.3 percent from the field in the second half and scored 64 points in the final 20 minutes.
Craig Sanders led NKU with 31 points, and Brenden Stowers added 16 points.
NKU/UWP SERIES IN REGENTS HALL: Wisconsin-Parkside is 0-7 all-time in Regents Hall. NKU leads the series, 11-4.
Chris Seabrooks