Gritty, come-from-behind performance lifts @NKUNorseMBB past RMU in overtime, 79-74

  • NKU athletics
    NKU athletics

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Northern Kentucky erased a 17-point first-half deficit to force overtime where Trevon Faulkner ignited to lift the Norse to a 79-74 win at Robert Morris. With the victory, NKU improves to 5-5 in the Horizon League and 7-8 overall. RMU dips to 3-7 in all games and 2-5 in league play.

 

STAT LEADERS

  • Trevon Faulkner led NKU with 18 points, all coming in the second half and overtime. In fact, Faulkner had 11 points in the overtime frame. He converted all 10 free-throw attempts and handed out five assists.
  • Marques Warrick tallied 17 points in the game, adding five rebounds and three assists.
  • Adrian Nelson made all five of his field-goal attempts en route to a 13-point, nine rebound outing.
  • Bryson Langdon also added 13 points to the Norse cause and Adham Eleeda provided a massive spark off the bench with 12 points, all coming via the 3-point shot.

TURNING POINT

  • Faulkner’s three to open overtime sparked the Norse. NKU’s defense was stout in overtime, and Faulkner took over offensively with a personal 9-1 run over the first 4:13 of the period. 

FIRST HALF SUMMARY

  • Robert Morris came out on fire, hitting its first nine shots in the game and not missing its first attempt until the 12:03 mark. In the process, RMU jumped out to a 24-7 lead.
  • But, the Norse responded. Five-straight points here. Four in a row there. Then, NKU used layups from Nelson and Jake Evans plus a three from Eleeda in a 7-0 run to pull within four, 33-29.
  • Eleeda then buried another three with a few seconds remaining to keep the halftime deficit at four, 38-34.
  • Warrick and Eleeda led NKU with nine points each in the half, but Evans and Paul Djoko provided a lift off the bench. Djoko had two points, four boards and a pair of steals, while Evans added a bucket, rebound, steal and dropped off two dimes.
  • NKU ended the half shooting 50 percent (15-of-30) from the floor and 31 percent (4-of-13) from 3-point territory. After making its first nine attempts, RMU made just six of its last 15 shots to finish the half converting 63 percent (15-of-24) from the field and 56 percent (5-of-9) from three.

SECOND HALF SUMMARY

  • The teams traded scoring early in the second half, but Northern Kentucky eventually used an 8-1 run to tie the score at 52. 
  • Following an RMU free throw, Nelson converted an old-fashioned three-point play to give NKU its first lead of the game at 55-53.
  • It then became a back-and-forth affair until Robert Morris outscored Northern Kentucky 6-2 over a five-minute span that started at the 5:22 mark to give the Colonials a 66-64 advantage.
  • The advantage was short lived as Nelson found Langdon on a backdoor cut and Langdon converted the lay-in bucket with five seconds remaining to tie the score at 66.
  • The Norse converted at a 39 percent (10-of-26) clip in the second half and stiffened on the defensive end, holding the Colonials to 32 percent (7-of-22). NKU was also a perfect 8-for-8 at the line.

OVERTIME

  • Faulkner hit a three to open scoring in overtime and went on a personal 9-1 run over the first 4:13 of the five-minute overtime period to put NKU in front, 75-67.
  • Robert Morris responded with two quick baskets in a 10-second span.
  • After Langdon made two free throws, RMU hit a triple to pull within three, 77-74, with 12 seconds on the clock.
  • But, Faulkner calmly knocked down two free throws with five seconds remaining to seal the 79-74 win.
  • Northern Kentucky hit 2-of-5 from the floor in overtime, but with Robert Morris fouling the Norse knocked down 8-of-10 at the line.

 

GAME NOTES

  • Northern Kentucky’s defense in the second half and overtime was stellar. After surrendering 63 percent shooting in the first half, NKU held RMU to 31 percent (10-of-32) during the final 25 minutes of the game.
  • NKU finished the game with more points off turnovers (15-14), points in the paint (30-24) and on fast break (15-6).
  • Faulkner continued his streak of double-digit scoring performances. He has now done so in 16-straight games dating back to last season.
  • Nelson has been on fire lately. In the series against RMU, he converted 11-of-12 shots and averaged 12.5 points per game. But, over the last six games, Nelson has made 25-of-28 shot attempts for a blistering 89 percent shooting percentage.
  • Eleeda’s 12 points on the evening mark the third double-figure scoring output of the season for the senior. He had 10 in the season opener versus Ball State and career-high 18 in the Horizon League opener against Youngstown State.
  • Djoko played a season-high 32 minutes in the game. He matched his career-high with six rebounds and swiped a career-best three steals. Djoko added a pair of blocks in a productive defensive effort.
  • Evans played 16 minutes in the game as well, scoring four points and handing out three assists.
  • This also marks the third time this season where the Norse have had five players reach double figures in the scoring column. NKU is now 3-0 when that happens.

 

NEXT UP

Northern Kentucky hosts UIC on January 29 and 30 at BB&T Arena. Friday’s game is slated to tip off at 6 p.m., while Saturday’s is set for 5 p.m.