NKyTribune staff
How good is Illinois-Chicago? Look no further than Friday night, when the Flames knocked off Horizon League preseason favorite Wright State in overtime, 75-72, on the Raiders’ home floor.
That makes Sunday’s 6 p.m. showdown at BB&T Arena between Northern Kentucky University and visiting UIC even more intriguing. The Norse are 11-3 overall and 1-0 in the Horizon League after posting a 92-77 win over IUPUI on Friday night. UIC is 7-7 overall, 1-0 in the Horizon League.
Drew McDonald finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead NKU, which improved to 9-0 at BB&T Arena this season. The Norse — with five players scoring in double figures — shot 53.7 percent from the field and are now 32-4 at home since the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
NKU’s Tyler Sharpe drives to the basket against IUPUI on Friday night. Sharpe averages 14.3 points per game. (Photo by Jeff McCurry)
In addition, McDonald is one of five active players in Division I basketball with at least 1,600 career points (1,693) and 800 career boards (898).
NKU’s Tyler Sharpe averages 14.3 points per game. The junior guard has made at least two 3-pointers in each of the last 10 games, including eight with at least three made treys.
Sharpe also demonstrated his toughness and competitive spirit against IUPUI. He took a nasty fall in the first half Friday night and was bleeding from a cut on the side of his head. It appeared he was finished for the night as he walked slowly to the locker room with medical personnel carefully watching him.
Sharpe — with seven staples to close the cut on the side of his head — returned to the lineup in the second half and immediately knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. He finished with 16 points.
Dantez Walton is averaging 11.6 points and 5.9 rebounds. In his first two seasons as a Norse (61 games), he posted nine combined double-figure scoring games. He already has 11 double-digit scoring outputs this year.
Zaynah Robinson is running the show for the Norse and features a team-best 3.4 assists per game. He is also averaging 9.4 points per game. Jalen Tate averages 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this year. He’s registered 31 assists to only 15 turnovers and is making 52.0 percent (39-of-75) of his shots.
Trevon Faulkner has started the last seven games for the Norse, playing nearly 22 minutes per outing and has dished out 17 assists while committing just seven miscues. He handed out a career-best six assists against IUPUI.
In the win at Wright State on Friday, UIC’s Marcus Ottey tallied 23 points and eight rebounds, while Tarkus Ferguson finished with 18 points, 10 boards and six assists. Travell Washington — who drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Flames the win — finished with 13 points.
Ottey averages a team-best 16.3 points per game, while UIC also receives double-figure scoring contributions from Ferguson (15.9), Godwin Boahen (14.6) and Jordan Blount (11.5). The Flames, who allow 78.2 points per game while tallying 77.6 in offense, are riding a three-game winning streak.
NKU is 5-1 all-time against UIC, including wins in all three games between the teams at BB&T Arena. In the three home wins, NKU has outscored UIC, 258-202 (86-67.3 ppg). The Norse have also won the past four meetings with the Flames.
Sunday, Dec. 30
BB&T Arena (9,400), Highland Heights, Ky.
Illinois-Chicago (7-7, 1-0 HL) at NKU (11-3, 1-0 HL), 6 p.m.
NKU Radio: 55 WKRC (550 AM)
TV: FOX Sports Ohio
Series Record: NKU leads, 5-1
Last Meeting: NKU 79, UIC 72 (Feb. 23, 2018)
(Information compiled from NKU Athletics Communications and staff reports)
