HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Leave it to a group of determined basketball players to pick out the perfect retirement gift for their coach, particularly if it’s the final home game of their mentor’s career.
Looking for an example? Then check out what happened Saturday in Regents Hall, when Northern Kentucky University’s Ken Shields took the home floor as the Norse’s head coach for the final time in his 16-year career. The opposition was Great Lakes Valley Conference leader Lewis University, which entered the contest ranked No. 11 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll.
National rankings and conference standings were not going to stop the Norse on this day, nor would three overtimes of exhausting basketball. In dramatic fashion, NKU upset the powerful Flyers in triple overtime, 93-90, in Shields’ final appearance in Regents Hall.
“I have never seen a happier group of young men than our players after winning this one, and it’s a special way to end my home career,” Shields said. “I didn’t want to go out on a negative note at home, and I kept telling the players to hang in there and play tough, because we were going to win this game.”
Shields, who is retiring at the end of the season, watched his emotionally-charged Norse rally from a 12-point deficit with 10 minutes remaining in the game to force overtime when Jesse Rupe made a pair of free throws in the final seconds to tie the score at 69-69.
In the first overtime, Demitrius Hunter gave Lewis a 79-77 lead with 20 seconds left when he converted two free throws. But after Rupe missed a short jumper in the final seconds, NKU’s Pat Cary grabbed the offensive rebound and hit a layup to force the second extra period.
“I challenged Pat Cary to get a double-double today, and he responded with 23 points and 18 rebounds,” Shields said. “He also made some big shots at the end.”
After Hunter hit a short jumper with 9.4 seconds left in the third overtime to give Lewis a 90-89 lead, NKU rushed the ball down the court. Sean Rowland drove and drew two Lewis defenders his way, and the junior point guard found Cary all alone underneath the basket.
Cary was fouled by Monta McGhee with 1.1 seconds remaining on the clock, and he made both free throws to give NKU a 91-90 advantage.
Lewis attempted a long pass on the ensuing inbound play, but the ball was thrown out of bounds and NKU regained possession underneath its own basket. Cary sealed the win by taking a pass from Rowland and scoring a layup at the buzzer for the 93-90 final.
It was the 305th career victory for Shields, whose team snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 15-11 overall, 8-8 in the GLVC. Shields also ended his home coaching career with a 172-54 record.
“(Regents Hall) is a very special place to coach in, and I’m going to miss it a great deal,” Shields said. “To win like this in three overtimes in my final home game really makes it special, and this group of young men really battled the entire way.”
Rupe - who made 13-of-16 free throws - led NKU with 25 points in his final home game for the Norse, and Steve Purdon added 23 points. Adam Howell finished with 10 points for NKU, which made 25-of-34 free throws.
McGhee led Lewis (19-4 overall, 13-3 GLVC) with 28 points, and Hunter finished with 18 points. Sidney Holmes scored 12 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Flyers, who have now lost two straight games.
NKU has now won 11 straight games against Lewis in Regents Hall. Lewis has not defeated NKU in Regents Hall since Feb. 11, 1993, when the Flyers pulled out a 97-88 victory over the Norse.
NKU will travel to Rensselaer, Ind., this Thursday night for an 8:45 p.m. game at Saint Joseph’s College. The Norse will also play a road game at the University of Indianapolis next Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.
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