Sharpe joins 1,000-point club, NKU extends win streak to four with 88-63 triumph over Youngstown State

By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

Tyler Sharpe can give you at least 1,000 reasons that Northern Kentucky’s resounding 88-63 victory over Youngstown State on Thursday night will always be a pleasant memory.

That’s because the torrid-shooting guard became the latest member of NKU’s 1,000-point club during the Norse’s convincing win at BB&T Arena. And he didn’t waste any time joining the exclusive club, eclipsing the 1,000-point mark with a long-range trey early in the first half off an assist from Silas Adheke.

Sharpe, a Bullitt East graduate, finished with 33 points as NKU extended its winning streak to four. Trevon Faulkner added 22 points as the Norse improved to 13-6 overall, 5-2 in the Horizon League.

NKU finished 11-for-27 from 3-point range and moved into sole possession of second place in the Horizon League standings. Sharpe ignited the Norse perimeter attack, burying nine triples in 12 attempts. He drained a trio of 3-pointers in the opening four minutes as NKU built a 13-5 lead.

“It started with Silas,” Sharpe said, crediting Adheke’s work on the offensive glass. “He got a big offensive rebound right off the bat and it allowed me to get a step-in three. The offensive rebound kick-out was a point of emphasis in our offense.

“I knew I was in a rhythm early. I wasn’t really thinking about 1,000 (points). I knew 1,000 would come. I wasn’t going to say I needed to get it today. I just wanted to come in with the same approach I’ve had. I was fortunate to get a couple of looks early, get in a rhythm and stay there throughout the game.”

It marked the fifth time this season Sharpe has netted at least 30 points and the second straight game in which he has scored a career-high 33. Sharpe also poured in 33 points on Sunday to spark NKU’s 96-71 win at IUPUI.

“Obviously, Tyler was outstanding in terms of making shots early,” NKU head coach Darrin Horn said, noting the 18 points Sharpe scored in the first half as the Norse bolted out to a 48-29 lead. “He got a couple of great shots off offensive rebound kick-outs, which you got to credit Silas and Adrian (Nelson) for.”

Adheke and Nelson combined for 16 rebounds, nine points and four assists to key NKU’s dominating performance in front of a crowd of 3,232. Nelson hauled in 10 rebounds, while Adheke grabbed six boards and blocked a shot.

NKU used a 15-1 spurt to turn a 23-23 tie into a 38-24 lead with 3:29 remaining in the first half. Faulkner netted six points during the run, while Bryson Langdon added a pair of buckets and Sharpe drained a long-range trey.

Faulkner shot 8-for-13 from the field and made all five of his free throws. The sophomore guard from Mercer County also grabbed four rebounds and played a key role defensively as NKU limited Youngstown State to 33.3 percent shooting from the field.

“Trevon knows I’m ultra-confident in him when he has the ball and plays aggressively,” Horn said, adding Faulkner’s ability to avoid foul trouble is a big key. “The biggest thing is, he’s on the floor. I would argue that I don’t know of anybody that’s more valuable to our total team and what we do than Trevon Faulkner.”

Jalen Tate scored 11 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out three assists and blocked a pair of shots for NKU, while Langdon finished with 10 points and four assists. The Norse shot 50.8 percent from the field and converted 89.5 percent of their free throws.

Sharpe has scored 1,024 career points at NKU and is averaging 16.4 points per game this season. In addition, Thursday marked the third straight game in which Nelson has recorded double-digit rebounding totals.

NKU is now 10-9 all-time against Youngstown State.

Garrett Covington scored 17 points to lead Youngstown State, which remained winless (0-5) all-time at BB&T Arena. The Penguins — who have dropped six consecutive games against the Norse — fell to 11-8 overall, 4-2 in the Horizon League.

Youngstown State entered Thursday alone in second place in the Horizon League, just a half game behind Wright State. The Penguins visit Wright State on Saturday.

NKU plays host to Cleveland State at 7 p.m. Saturday.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY 88, YOUNGSTOWN STATE 63
YOUNGSTOWN STATE (63)
Quisenberry 2-7 2-3 7, Bohannon 3-9 2-5 8, Akuchie 2-4 3-3 7, Simmons 1-3 0-2 2, Cathcart 1-5 0-0 2, Morgan 3-5 0-0 8, Covington 5-8 5-6 17, Bentley 1-3 0-0 2, Hamperian 0-3 2-2 2, Pedersen 2-8 2-6 6, Foster 0-4 2-2 2, Bofenkamp 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-60 18-29 63.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY (88)
Sharpe 11-17 2-3 33, Adheke 2-3 1-1 5, Faulkner 8-13 5-5 22, Langdon 4-7 2-2 10, Tate 2-7 7-8 11, Eleeda 0-4 0-0 0, Nelson 2-3 0-0 4, Harris 0-1 0-0 0, Mocaby 0-1 0-0 0, Djoko 1-1 0-0 3, Cobbs 0-1 0-0 0, Wassler 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-59 17-19 88.
HALFTIME: NKU 48-29. 3-POINTERS: (NKU 11-27, YSU 5-18). REBOUNDS: NKU 37 (Nelson 10), YSU 38 (Pederson 9).
RECORDS: NKU 13-6, 5-2 HL; YSU 11-8, 4-2 HL.