Nov. 14, 2000

NKU TO MEET IU-SOUTHEAST ON FRIDAY

Norse to host John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team, now 3-0 after winning the Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic championship at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., will host the annual John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic this Friday (Nov. 17) and Saturday (Nov. 18) in Regents Hall. NKU will meet Indiana University-Southeast (1-1) at 7:45 p.m. Friday in the first round in Regents Hall. California (Pa.) University will take on Ohio Dominican College in the other first-round game at 5:30 p.m. The consolation game will be played at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, followed by the championship at 7:45 p.m. NKU won the Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic championship Sunday night with a 64-43 victory over Rollins (Fla.) College. Senior forward Todd Clark led NKU with 16 points and seven rebounds in the championship game against Rollins. Tournament most valuable player Carl Mitchell had 14 points and seven rebounds for NKU, which is ranked No. 6 nationally in the preseason poll by Division II Bulletin. Mitchell, the 6-foot-9 junior college transfer from Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College, leads NKU in scoring at 15.0 points per game. Mitchell also ranks first in rebounding at 7.3 rebounds per game. Mitchell has also made 58.3 percent (7 of 12) of his three-point attempts this season. Mitchell hit four three-point shots in the victory against Rollins on Sunday. Clark, returning to NKU after a two-year layoff, averages 11.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Clark, who was named to the Disney Classic All-Tournament Team, averaged 12.7 ppg in 1997-98. Junior guard Craig Sanders averages 10.3 ppg, and sophomore guard Brenden Stowers - who also earned All-Tournament honors at the Disney Classic - averages 8.0 ppg. Stowers leads the team in assists with 10, and he also has four steals. CLOSING IN ON 1,000 POINTS: NKU junior guard Craig Sanders now has scored 892 career points and is nearing the NKU 1,000-point club. Two current NKU players - Craig Conley (1,092) and Brian Lawhon (1,046) - already have scored more than 1,000 career points at NKU. ABOUT IU-SOUTHEAST: The Grenadiers, an NAIA affiliate, posted a 6-25 record last season. IU-Southeast first-year head coach Walt Corbean was once an assistant coach at NKU under Ken Shields. The Grenadiers are 1-1 after posting a 106-74 win over Temple Baptist this past Monday night at New Albany, Ind. The Grenadiers began the season by dropping a 100-89 decision to Trevecca Nazarene on Nov. 3. IU-Southeast averages 97.5 points per game going into Friday’s contest with NKU. Six IU-Southeast players score in double figures, led by Johnney Coomer’s 15.5 ppg. Justin Knight averages 13.5 ppg, and Shuntell Mells and Jason Daeger both score an average of 12.0 ppg. NKU leads the all-time series with IU-Southeast, 7-0, and the Norse posted an 89-51 win against the Grenadiers in their last meeting on Dec. 1, 1997, in Regents Hall. Cliff Clinton scored 16 points in that game to lead NKU. LAST SEASON’S JOHN L. GRIFFIN/LIONS CLUB CLASSIC: NKU captured the tournament championship with a 64-60 win over Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the finals. Brian Lawhon scored 25 points in the championship game to lead NKU. Lawhon’s three-pointer with just more than three minutes remaining gave NKU a 60-58 lead. Adam Norwell later hit a short jumper to make the score 62-58, and the Norse held off UWSP to capture the title. UWSP’s Brant Bailey scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds to earn the tournament's most valuable player honor. Lawhon and Billy Brewster (12 points) earned All-Tournament honors for NKU, and Norse guard Craig Conley was named the tournament's best defensive player award. NKU has won 10 of the previous 18 Lions Club Classic titles.