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NKU holds off late Green Bay rally for 77-65 victory, sweeps rugged Wisconsin road trip


By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Given what had occurred inside the Resch Center during the previous two years, Northern Kentucky University just wanted to leave town with a victory Saturday.

And NKU did just that, building a 19-point lead early in the second half and holding off a late Green Bay rally for a 77-65 win. The Norse — who had lost during both previous trips to Green Bay — swept the two-game Wisconsin road trip for the first time and improved to 14-6 overall, 7-1 in the Horizon League.

NKU’s Lavone Holland II

Lavone Holland II led NKU with 16 points, including a trio of clutch baskets in the second half after Green Bay had cut the Norse lead to single digits. Holland netted two consecutive buckets late in the game that extended a five-point NKU advantage to 65-56 with 4:31 remaining.

On the following possession, Tyler Sharpe collected a steal and converted a layup to give the Norse a 67-56 edge. After a Green Bay turnover, Drew McDonald buried a 3-pointer to increase the cushion to 70-56 with 3:28 on the clock.

“Lavone made huge plays that stopped the momentum Green Bay had built,” NKU head coach John Brannen said. “Green Bay has some very good players, and it’s difficult to beat them in this building. We had never won here before, so I’m pleased the guys were up to that challenge. You have to play well to get two wins on this road trip. The guys did everything we asked.”

NKU took a 40-31 lead into the locker room as Carson Williams and Jordan Garnett combined for 19 points in the first half. Williams scored eight points during the opening five minutes, highlighted by a powerful dunk while being fouled. The sophomore forward from Owen County High School netted 10 of his 14 points in the first half.

Garnett knocked down a trio of 3-pointers in the first half for nine points. He finished with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists.

NKU’s Drew McDonald

McDonald added 15 points, five rebounds and three assists for NKU, which shot 45.3 percent from the field. The Norse dished out a total of 17 assists and committed just nine turnovers. Holland — who scored 19 points and handed out 10 assists Thursday night during a 91-64 win at Milwaukee — collected four assists, hauled in six rebounds and also blocked two shots Saturday.

Jalen Tate finished with seven points and two steals for NKU, while teammate Jeff Garrett added four points and three rebounds. The Norse held a 36-18 edge in points in the paint and a 10-0 advantage in fast-break points.

NKU forced Green Bay (8-15 overall, 3-7 Horizon League) into 19 turnovers and outscored the Phoenix 21-13 off those miscues.

Khalil Small led Green Bay with 17 points, while Sandy Cohen III scored 15. Kameron Hankerson chipped in 13 points for the Phoenix, who have dropped seven of their last eight games.

Green Bay shot 43.4 percent from the field and drained 11 shots from 3-point range. The Phoenix still hold a 3-2 lead in the all-time series with the Norse, who have won four straight conference road games for the first time as a Division I program.

NKU plays host to Oakland at 9 p.m. Friday in a Horizon League showdown at BB&T Arena. The Golden Grizzlies were the preseason favorites and feature the Horizon League’s top three scorers, including guard Kendrick Nunn and his 26 points per contest.

Nunn poured in 38 points Saturday as Oakland posted a 92-86 win at Detroit Mercy. The transfer from Illinois made eight shots from 3-point range as Oakland improved to 13-8 overall, 5-3 in the Horizon League, with its fourth straight victory.

HORIZON LEAGUE STANDINGS


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