By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter
Texas Southern doesn’t fear playing on the road, and that’s obvious by a season-opening schedule loaded with six consecutive games away from home.
Such a rugged slate usually translates into a number of losses and few — if any — victories. And, four games into the 2019-20 campaign, Texas Southern is 0-4. The Tigers’ next two contests are also on the road, with their first home game scheduled for Nov. 30.
Texas Southern’s next stop is in Highland Heights on Saturday night, when the Tigers meet Northern Kentucky at 7 p.m. at BB&T Arena. NKU owns a 4-1 record after outlasting Ball State in a defensive battle, 59-57, on Wednesday night.
Trevon Faulkner is scoring 12.6 points per game and leads NKU in free throws made (19). He is also shooting 82.6 percent from the line. (Photo by Jeff McCurry)
In the win at Ball State, Dantez Walton and Trevon Faulkner combined for 35 points as NKU held on to snap the Cardinals’ 17-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents. Walton scored 18 points, while Faulkner added 17 as the Norse extended their winning streak to three.
Walton averages 13.6 points per game and leads NKU in rebounding at 6.8 boards per contest. Faulkner is scoring 12.6 points per game and leads the Norse in free throws made (19). The Mercer County graduate is also shooting 82.6 percent from the line.
Tyler Sharpe is NKU’s leading scorer at 15.0 points per game. He also ranks No. 1 in 3-pointers made (14) and steals (10).
Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, the Norse own a 43-5 record at BB&T Arena.
Texas Southern dropped an 82-51 decision at Arkansas on Tuesday night. The Tigers turned the ball over 24 times and made just 34.5 percent of their shots from the field in that loss.
Senior guard Tyrik Armstrong led Texas Southern with 15 points against Arkansas. Armstrong averages 11.5 points per game and has dished out a team-leading 13 assists. Eden Ewing, a 6-foot-8 senior forward, is Texas Southern’s top rebounder (6.7 rpg) and averages 11.0 ppg.
Johnny Jones, who played on the 1980-81 LSU team that won the Southeastern Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Final Four, is the head coach at Texas Southern. Jones, who was also the head coach at LSU for five seasons, is in his second year at Texas Southern.
Saturday’s contest is part of the Collegiate Hoops Roadshow, a multi-site, on-campus exempt event that allows teams to add an extra game to their schedule.
After playing Texas Southern, NKU remains at home to face Midway (Ky.) on Monday at 7 p.m. Midway is a member of the NAIA and is currently 2-4, with one of the losses a 95-54 drubbing at Georgetown (Ky.).
NKU will play at Arkansas on Nov. 30, and then visit Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 3.
Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport
