By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter
John Brannen often uses the phrase “playing to our identity” to describe Northern Kentucky University’s demand for defensive excellence and toughness.
NKU’s Carson Williams throws down a second-half dunk against Cleveland State on Monday night. (Photo by Jeff McCurry)
NKU led by as many as 25 points in the second half and cruised to the victory in front of a crowd of 3,812. The Norse also outscored the visitors 25-7 in points off turnovers.
Brannen, in his third season as NKU’s head coach, liked what his team accomplished in bouncing back from a tough loss to Wright State last Thursday.
“I thought tonight was reflective of our defensive identity,” he said. “One of the things that’s difficult in basketball is to not allow your offense to affect your defense when shots aren’t going in. That’s why defense has to be your identity. The fact we were not shooting the ball well at the start of the game did not affect us defensively, and that’s why our identity is defense.”
Drew McDonald scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds for NKU, which improved to 12-6 overall, 5-1 in the Horizon League. The Norse, who allowed Wright State to shoot 55.8 percent from the field in the previous game, clamped down defensively on Cleveland State and held the visitors to just 37.5 percent.
“We came out a bit sluggish at the beginning on offense, missed some makeable shots, but the defense was there,” said McDonald, who also dished out five assists. “Our bench gave us great energy, especially in the first half.”
NKU reserves Mason Faulkner and Tyler Sharpe provided the spark in the first half, combining for 14 points and four 3-pointers. With the game tied at 15-all, Faulkner scored eight consecutive NKU points — including a pair of long-range treys — to help the Norse build a 23-17 advantage.
NKU’s Mason Faulkner (left) drives against Cleveland State defender Kasheem Thomas in the first half. (Photo by Jeff McCurry)
Sharpe buried two 3-pointers as the Norse closed the first half on a 20-4 run to take a 37-21 lead into the locker room. He finished with nine points, all on 3-pointers. Sharpe and Faulkner combined for 10-of-18 shooting from the field, including 5-for-10 from 3-point range.
“People on the bench, including myself, we’re just waiting on the moment,” said Faulkner, who scored a game-high 16 points and also collected three steals. “Everyone on the bench is ready to play. Everybody came here to win, and that’s why Coach Brannen brought us here.”
Carson Williams finished with 12 points and nine rebounds as NKU won the battle of the boards by a 38-33 margin. The sophomore forward also treated the BB&T crowd to three highlight-reel dunks in the second half, including a vicious two-hand jam off a missed shot.
Lavone Holland II added eight points, five rebounds and three assists for NKU, which has won 20 of its last 27 games against Horizon League foes.
NKU is now 3-2 all-time against Cleveland State. The Norse have defeated the Vikings three consecutive times after being swept by Cleveland State during the 2015-16 season.
Kasheem Thomas scored 10 points to lead Cleveland State, which dropped to 4-15 overall, 1-5 in the Horizon League. Bobby Word added nine points for the Vikings, who committed 16 turnovers.
Cleveland State’s Tyree Appleby, who was named Horizon League Freshman of the Week earlier Monday, was held to four points on 1-for-8 shooting from the field.
“They shoot the most 3-pointers in the league, so I thought we did a good job on their perimeter players,” Brannen said. “It wasn’t all our defense, because they did miss some open shots, too. But we sustained our defensive intensity even though our shots weren’t falling early on. We have a lot of games remaining, and we have to keep improving, and the only way we do that is keeping our focus on defense each night.”
NKU begins a two-game road trip Thursday night with an 8 p.m. clash against Horizon League foe Milwaukee. The Norse conclude the Wisconsin trip Saturday with a 1 p.m. game at Green Bay.
NKU/CLEVELAND STATE PHOTO GALLERY
