By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
Northern Kentucky’s Norse stuck with the formula – defense and determination – and for the fourth time in the last seven seasons, NKU has won the Horizon League championship.
That’s right. The fourth-seeded Norse will be advancing to the NCAA Championship, dancing in March Madness if you will, after dispatching third-seed Cleveland State, 63-61, Tuesday at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, site of last year’s second-half collapse to Wright State that cost NKU an NCAA trip.
“It’s huge (to be back in the NCAA Tournament),” Northern Kentucky Coach Darrin Horn said. “The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do as a coach was tell that group they weren’t going to get to play. We’re just excited to be a part of it. I’m really happy for our players.”
We are the Champtions, NKU players and cheerleaders proclaim (Photo by Dale Dawn)
No such collapse this year against a Cleveland State team that could not have been a closer matchup with NKU after the teams split the season series, each winning by one point at home.
In a back-and-forth game with 14 lead changes and 12 ties in the first 25 minutes, NKU went on a 9-1 run while holding CSU without a field goal on eight straight shots, leaving the Norse with a 52-45 lead with 10 minutes left. A big factor to that point were NKU’s 12 steals to just two for CSU.
From then on, CSU’s Vikings would never get closer than the final margin of two points as one after another of NKU’s starters would make a big play – and more.
Senior Chris Brandon, NKU’s lone player with size at 6-foot-8, made two giant blocks at the 3:25 and 3:00-minute marks, the second on a breakaway layup from behind that might have been the game’s most spectacular – and important – play.
Sophomore Sam Vinson, who scored 16 points, immediately hit a jumper to give NKU a 56-50 lead with 2:36 left.
Marquess Warrick goes agsint 6-8 Deante Johnson for the score (Photo by Dale Dawn)
Trey Robinson, another sophomore whose three-pointer gave NKU that 52-45 lead on an assist from Vinson, would score back-to-back baskets as NKU was extending its lead.
And then senior Xavier Rhodes, with the shot clock expiring as he dribbled with his back to the basket, recognized the situation as he wheeled and fired just before the red light came on, nailing a key three to make it 59-53.
“We were just yelling ‘3, 2, shoot it, shoot it’,” Vinson said. “The shot went in and the crowd went crazy. We just had to play defense after that.”
And finally, junior Marques Warrick, on his way to a game-high 18 points, hit four of five free throws in the final 23.0 seconds to give NKU a 63-56 lead with 16.9 seconds left so that despite two desperation scores by the Vikings as NKU did not want to foul, there was simply not enough time with NKU leading 63-61 and just 0.2 seconds left.
Warrick’s 18 points would lead NKU followed by Vinson’s 16. Warrick’s 11 of 13 from the line would help NKU to a 16-of-18 night there, which turned out to be the difference as CSU was just five of 10 from the line.
Warrick and Vinson would each have three steals, tops in the game as NKU finished with a 14-4 edge there and a 21-7 in points scored off turnovers.
Robinson added 12 points, Rhodes nine. And Brandon had six points with a team-high nine rebounds and those two blocks.
For Cleveland State (21-13), 6-8 forward Tristan Enaruna had a team-high 17 points. The Netherlands native was attempting to be the first player in NCAA history to make the NCAA tournament in three straight years from three different teams. He’d previously played for Kansas and Iowa State before transferring to CSU this season. Deshon Parker added 14.
NKU’s Xavier Rhodes on a drive to the basket against Cleveland State’s 6-9 Deante Johnson (Photo by Dale Dawn)
“Defensively, we wanted to limit them with transition defense,” Warrick said, “it starts with stops as well.”
“Cleveland State is a really hard team to play against,” Horn said, “they were terrific, hats off to them for a terrific season. We knew coming into the game it would be a war, and that’s how it played out. The message to our guys was to stay aggressive. That’s stepping up and making shots and making plays on defense and that was the difference in the game tonight.”
“I’m just very proud of this group,” Cleveland State head coach Daniyal Robinson said. “Although we fell short tonight, they’ve made a ton of people proud.”
Three NKU players would lead the five-man Horizon All-Tournament team with MVP Warrick, Vinson and Brandon joined by Cleveland State’s Enaruna and Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis.
Northern Kentucky will learn its NCAA fate on the Selection Sunday show this weekend with the possibility of a No. 16 seed that could send them to the First Four games, March 14-15, at the University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio. ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has NKU avoiding the First Four games but as a 16 seed, facing No. 1 seed Alabama in Birmingham, Thursday, March 16.
“After you get down the road a bit in this business, you’re happy for your players, you’re happy for your fans,” Horn said. “You know the impact being in the NCAA Tournament has for exposure and bringing people together creates excitement and pride in the school and program.”
BOX SCORE
CLEVELAND STATE 30 31-61
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 33 30-63
CLEVELAND STATE (21-13, 14-6 Horizon): Enaruna 17, Parker 14, Williams 4, Johnson 5, Hill 6, Woodrich 6, Pryor 3, Lowder 6, TOTAL: 61.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY (22-12, 14-6 Horizon): Warrick 18, Vinson 16, Robinson 12, Rhodes 9, Brandon 6, Faulkner 2, Evans 0, Zorgvol 0, Evans 0, Sumler 0, TOTAL: 63.
