Box score
INDIANAPOLIS- Visiting Northern Kentucky used two long scoring runs-- one in each half-- to distance itself from the host Greyhounds for a 76-61 victory at Nicoson Hall Thursday night. The game marked the opening of Great Lakes Valley Conference play for both schools.
NKU's first run came as it jumped out to a 22-7 advantage with an 18-2 run over an eight-minute span midway through the period. UIndy stopped the stretch with a pair of free throws from
Tristan Rogers and then back-to-back triples from
Sergey Struck and
Keith Radcliff swung the momentum to the Greyhounds' side and forced an NKU timeout.
Donald Cloutier hit from three-point range with a minute to play to close the gap to 32-29 before the Norse went to the halftime locker room with a 34-29 advantage.
Early in the second stanza, Cloutier connected again from the wing to cut it to two and the Hounds later tied the score as
Braxton Mills stole the ball and fed
Tyke Cockerham for a fastbreak bucket and a 34-all score. Devin Williams gave UIndy its first lead since the early going with a triple and on the next possession, Mills emphatically blocked a shot and fed Radcliff for two quick points as the Hounds enjoyed a 41-37 advantage. Radcliff dropped in a triple to stretch UIndy's lead to seven with just over 13 minutes to play.
NKU then built its second run, taking the next four minutes to score the next 17 points en route to rebuilding a double-digit margin. The lead eventually rose to 11 points before the Greyhounds attempted another comeback. With the score 56-49,
Dijon Knight corralled what would have been a turnover underneath the Greyhound basket and converted it into points and a free throw, putting the Hounds within striking distance.
Following another Radcliff triple the NKU lead stood at three, but UIndy could claw no closer. NKU's advantage ballooned to as many 16 in the closing minutes before the twentienth-ranked Norse posted the 76-61 win.
Radcliff led all scorers with 17 points while Cockerham added 10 points, five rebounds and four assists.
The Greyhounds host Bellarmine Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. tip at Nicoson Hall.
