Box Score
Northern Kentucky didn't forget the 17-point drubbing laid on them by Kentucky Wesleyan in late January at Highland Heights, and the Norse paid back the Panthers in full on Thursday night at the Sportscenter.
Dominating virtually from start to finish, No. 15 NKU led by as many as 20 points on four occasions in the second half before settling for a 67-55 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over the 12th-ranked Panthers before a disappointed crowd of 3,457.
The loss — KWC's fourth at home this season — drops the Panthers to 19-5 overall and 11-5 in league play as they visit Louisville on Saturday night to challenge defending national champion No. 1 Bellarmine, which was upset 75-72 at Southern Indiana on Thursday.
“For whatever reason, for the last three games we have not come out with a sense of urgency to compete and play at a high level,” Wesleyan head coach Todd Lee said. “We're playing for a high regional ranking, a higher seed in the (postseason) tournaments — it's late February, and this is the time of year you've got to have a competitive mindset.
“I expected us to be ready to play, but Northern grabbed the early momentum and was able to build a big lead. Once you get behind against them, it's tough to catch up because they handle the ball so well.”
Northern's tell-tale run came midway through the first half when Eshuante Jones and Chad Jackson keyed a 17-2 run that pushed the visitors in front 35-17 at 4:40 of the first half.
Wesleyan was able to score eight of the final 12 points of the first half to pull within 39-26 at intermission.
The Norse, however, came out smoking in the second half. A conventional three-point conversion by DeAndre Nealy and a 3-pointer by Jones highlighted an 8-1 blast from the gate -- pushing Northern in front 51-31 with just under 18 minutes to play.
NKU (20-4, 12-4) still led by 20 with just under eight minutes to go, when Wesleyan made its best surge of the night behind All-American candidate
Anthony Young, who scored eight consecutive points to pull the Panthers within 61-50 at 3:37.
A free throw by Ethan Faulkner and two more by Jon Van Hoose quelled the KWC spurt, however, and the Panthers never got closer than 10 the rest of the way.
“We did it with defense,” said Northern Kentucky's Jackson, who finished with 11 points and a game-best nine rebounds. “Plus, we hit our free throws to keep (Wesleyan) at bay.
“It was a solid team effort all the way around, and a real good victory to get on the road.”
Jones led Northern with 15 points and Nealy added 11.Faulkner, meanwhile, dished six assists -- as many as KWC had as a team.
The Norse shot 47 percent from the field, 79 percent from the foul stripe, and outrebounded the Panthers 36-27. NKU committed 14 floor mistakes.
Wesleyan got a game-best 28 points and six rebounds from
Anthony Young, who was 10-of-15 from the field.
Brandon Johnson added 14 points, four assists and three steals.
KWC shot just 40 percent from the floor, went 3-of-14 from 3-point range (21 percent), made only 14-of-27 foul shots (52 percent) and turned the ball over 15 times.
