Jan. 8, 2002

NKU TO HOST UWP ON THURSDAY

Norse (9-4) face talented Rangers (10-3) in key GLVC game

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team owns a 9-4 overall record after posting a 90-62 win at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville last Saturday. The Norse are 5-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. NKU will play host to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside at 7:45 p.m. this Thursday night in Regents Hall. The Norse will also meet Saint Joseph’s College at 3:15 p.m. Saturday in Regents Hall. NKU’S NEW THREE-POINT KING: Craig Sanders scored 30 points Saturday to lead NKU past SIUE. Sanders also connected on eight three-point shots and became NKU’s all-time career leader with 304 three-point field goals. Sanders, who was named GLVC Player of the Week on Monday, passed Paul Cluxton (303 three-pointers) for the Norse career record. STREAK AT 33 FOR SANDERS: Sanders also has scored in double figures in 33 consecutive games. The NKU record for consecutive games in double figures is 39 (held by Brady Jackson). TEAM EFFORT AGAINST SIUE: Bobby St-Preux added 17 points, nine rebounds, five steals and four assists against SIUE, and Carl Mitchell scored 15 points and had seven rebounds for the Norse. Brenden Stowers finished with 10 points, six assists and four steals. NKU built a 44-29 halftime lead by shooting 51.7 percent from the field. The Norse also held SIUE (6-8 overall, 2-6 GLVC) to just 39.3 percent shooting from the field in the first half. STEALING THE SHOW: NKU recorded 14 steals against SIUE on Saturday. Bobby St-Preux led the team with five steals, and Brenden Stowers added four. Stowers ranks No. 1 on the team with 29 steals. In the GLVC, Stowers ranks No. 14 in assists with 3.08 apg. ST-PREUX KEEPS ROLLING: St-Preux is averaging 19.4 points during his last five games. He has scored in double figures in six straight games. For the season, St-Preux averages 14.8 ppg, which ranks No. 13 in the GLVC. Craig Sanders (18.3 ppg) is No. 2 in the GLVC in scoring, and Carl Mitchell (14.3 ppg) ranks No. 15 in the GLVC. REJECTION MACHINE: NKU’s Carl Mitchell leads the GLVC in blocked shots with 28 (2.15 bpg). As a team, NKU has 50 rejections this season, compared to just 23 for the opposition. ABOUT WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE: The Rangers are 10-3 after posting a 65-55 win over Saint Joseph’s on Saturday. Wisconsin-Parkside is 6-1 in the GLVC and in second place, just one-half game behind GLVC leader Kentucky Wesleyan College. The Rangers feature point guard Marlon Grice, who averages 13.2 and leads the team with 49 assists. Quincey Moman is scoring 11.9 ppg and averages 4.1 rebounds, and Kevin Carp is scoring 11.1 ppg. THE LAST TIME AGAINST UW-PARKSIDE: Earlier this season on Nov. 26, Quincey Moman scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Wisconsin-Parkside defeated NKU, 67-54, at De Simone Gymnasium. Marlon Grice added 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Rangers, who shot 60.7 percent from the field in the second half to break open a close game. Wisconsin-Parkside also held the Norse to just 38.3 percent shooting from the field. After Brenden Stowers completed a three-point play to cut the Wisconsin-Parkside lead to 57-52 with 3:03 remaining in the game, the Rangers sealed the win with a 10-2 run. Moman scored five points during the game-ending run for the Rangers. Wisconsin-Parkside won the rebounding battle by a 41-26 margin and limited NKU to 1 of 10 shooting from three-point range in the second half. For the game, the Norse made just 3 of 19 three-point attempts. Stowers led NKU with 17 points, and Craig Sanders added 11 points. Darnell Fields chipped in 10 points for the Norse. REGENTS HALL JINX: Wisconsin-Parkside is 0-6 all-time in Regents Hall. NKU’s average margin of victory against the Rangers in Regents Hall has been 17.6 points per game. A year ago, NKU posted an 83-71 win over Wisconsin-Parkside in Regents Hall.