Box Score
INDIANAPOLIS -- Northern Kentucky connected on 10 three-pointers to defeat UIndy men's basketball, 80-63, in front of 1,707 at Nicoson Hall on Saturday night.
The Norse (6-0, 2-0 GLVC) made 10-of-24 three-pointers and 24-of-30 free throws, while the Greyhounds (5-2, 1-1 GLVC) missed their first 10 free throws to finish 2-of-14 and made 5-of-13 three-pointers.
Northern Kentucky also out-rebounded the Greyhounds, 40-33, to double them up in second-chance points, 18-9. The Greyhounds tried to counter by dominating in the paint, 44-16, but the three-point and free throw discrepancy was too much.
"We had too many defensive breakdowns and we did not follow the game plan," head coach
Stan Gouard said. "We didn't do a good job with the help defense and they kicked our butts on the boards.
"If we make free throws, I think we're right in the game at the end, but when you go 2-of-14 you are not going to win too many games."
Adrian Moss led UIndy with 17 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two blocks, while
Wilbur O'Neal added 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Jarrett Hamilton joined them in double figures with 13 points points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Northern Kentucky had four players with more than 10, led by Tony Rack hitting five three-pointers on the way to 19 points. Jon Van Hoose added 15, followed by Ernest Watson with 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks and Ethan Faulkner with 12 points and eight assists.
A lay-up by Hamilton with 8:24 remaining in the first half evened the score, 22-22, after the Norse had led by six. NKU came back to hit two three-pointers to go back up six, 28-22, with 6:35 left, but UIndy fought back to within one, 28-27, after Moss through a pass from his own three-point line to
Mikel Brigham for a reverse alley-oop slam dunk with 3:21 to play. Despite the emotion of that play, the Norse ended the half on a 9-0 run to take momentum and a 10-point lead, 39-29, into halftime.
NKU made 7-of-14 three-pointers and 4-of-6 free throws in the first half, while the Greyhounds missed all eight free throws and made 3-of-6 three-pointers.
The Norse came out of the locker room with five quick points to build their lead to 15, 44-29, after just 72 seconds had elapsed. An 8-0 run by the Greyhounds capped off by a fast break lay-up from Moss cut the margin to seven, 44-37, three minutes later, but a three-pointer less than 30 seconds later put NKU back up 10.
A couple of free throws by Hamilton with 11:27 to play, which were also the first and only makes from the line all game by UIndy, closed the margin to six, 52-46, but UIndy would get no closer. Northern Kentucky scored the next four to start a 13-2 run over the following 5:44 to build a 17-point lead, 65-48, with 5:43 to play that put the game away.
The Greyhounds are off until Dec. 16-17 when they travel to Las Vegas, Nev., for the Holiday Hoops Classic against Wilmington (Del.) and St. Mary's (Texas). The next home game for UIndy won't be until the New Year against Maryville at 7:45 p.m. on Jan. 12.
