Box Score: #22 USI 76, #20 NKU 63

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The 22^nd-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team won a top-25 showdown with 20^th-ranked Northern Kentucky University, 76-63, Thursday night in Highland Heights, Kentucky. USI rises to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the GLVC, while NKU falls to 4-1, 0-1 GLVC.

The Screaming Eagles built a pair of seven-point leads in the first half and had the advantage at the intermission, 39-32. USI's first seven-point advantage came 4:38 into the contest when it led 17-10. Senior guard #C.J. Trotter# (Hopkinsville, Kentucky) led the Eagles in their early run by scoring 10 of the 17 points.

The Norse battled back and tied the Eagles, 26-26, and briefly took the lead, 27-26. USI responded with a 7-3 run to re-take the advantage before building the seven-point halftime lead.

NKU rallied to start the second half with the first five points and cut the USI lead to two, 39-37. The Eagles regained the momentum a pushed the margin back to eight points, 50-42, their largest lead of the contest at that point.

The teams would trade buckets for the next six minutes before the Norse made a final rush to pull to within two of the Eagles, 63-61, with 6:02 left. USI countered by holding NKU to just two points in the final five minutes and went on a 13-2 run. The result was a 76-63 USI win.

Trotter finished with a game-high 26 points after scoring 15 in the first half. Senior center Mohamed Ntumba (Kinshasa, Congo) followed Trotter in the scoring column with a career-high 22 points and a game-high seven rebounds. Ntumba and senior forward Nick Duncheon (Montgomery, Indiana) also tied with a game-high three blocked shots.

USI's final double-figure scorer was senior guard Kevin Gant (Indianapolis, Indiana), who had a season-best 13 points, a game-high six assists, and six rebounds.

Overall, the Eagles won the battle on the boards, 43-25, and finished game over 50 percent from the field by hitting 29-of-50 (.580). USI also had 17 assists, but committed 18 turnovers.

The Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the Physical Activities Center Saturday when they host second-ranked Bellarmine University. The Knights started GLVC play tonight at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Kentucky, with a 3-0 overall record.