NKU 81 | IU Indianapolis 72 | FINAL
For the second Horizon League matchup in a row, NKU fights back from a double digit deficit to grab a key victory. In the first half, NKU had significant difficulty with the pressure that IU Indy plays with, however, they only turned it over 6 times. NKU’s offense was extremely sped up to start the game and settling for poor, rushed shots. NKU was able to close their deficit down within the last 4 minutes of the first half and went into the half trailing 39-35. IU Indy shot 16-32 from the field, and. 6-17 from 3 to start the half. The Norse shot just 13-32/6-12 in the first, and left 3 points at the line. The second half was a completely different story; IU Indy was 12-32/4-14, and NKU was 14-23/6-13.
The second half was a game of runs, first a 5-0 streak for NKU to get out to a 41-39 lead with 18:26 remaining. IU Indy countered later in the half, expanding their lead from 49-47 to 59-49 over the course of just under 4 minutes. NKU called a timeout and subbed 3 guys out and the energy after the 10:49 mark was considerably better. NKU rattled off a 8-0 run, which was the most significant of the night. During that run, Maguire Mitchell was called for a flagrant 1 foul on a Tae Dozier runout off of an Oday steal. Dozier made both free throws and Donovan Oday hit a 3 on the same possession. Donovan Oday continued to leave his mark, with a 3 to bring NKU within 1. Donovan Rakotonanahary grabbed a steal with 7:22 remaining which led to a runout and a ridiculous reverse windmill dunk (Linked below), forcing a Jaguar timeout.
After that moment, NKU never trailed again, Dan Gherezgher hit a pair of clutch 3’s to ensure NKU’s lead was safe and the Norse closed out their second straight comeback victory!
NKY’s Observations:
- NKU was able to fight through adversity today and lean on their defense to win tonight. IU Indy plays at the fastest temp in the country, and in the first half, NKU did not know ho two deal with the tempo or ball pressure. However, the second half was slowed down and NKU was able to force the Jaguars to slow down. This game finished with a total of 70 possessions, which comes in as the 2nd fewest in an IU Indy game this year. NKU, while undoubtedly wanting to play uptempo, was able to control the game and slow up the dynamic Jaguar offense.
- Donovan Rakotonanahary (DR) is quickly evolving into a go-to defender for the Norse. While Kael Robinson wasn’t able to play very well tonight, DR forced 2 steals and as highlighted above, really helped shift momentum for the Norse tonight. If he can continue this upward trend he’s been on over the last several games, that is a very good sign for NKU.
- Obligatory commentary on turnovers incoming, but in a good way for once! NKU was able to force 15 turnovers tonight, turning those into 22! points. That’s one of the best conversion rates the Norse have had this year, and goes hand in hand with the Norse defense stepping up. NKU also only turned it over 11 times on the night, which did lead to 13 points for the Jags.
- Rebounds continue to be an area that NKU needs to improve upon, getting out rebounded 34-29 tonight against a team who does not rebound the ball well, at all. NKU needs to continue to utilize a team approach to rebound the ball rather than relying on one or two guys like they did today (Wells with 9, DR with 7).
- NKU did really well at not fouling IU Indy tonight; the Jaguars are at the bottom of D1 in drawing fouls, and they have a tendency to foul a lot. We saw that on full display this afternoon, with NKU drawing a total of 20 fouls, while committing just 9. NKU took 25 free throws to IU Indy’s 6. However, NKU went just 15-25, from the FT line, with Elliott and Nelson both struggling significantly (2-7 combined). LJ wells went 6-9 from the line tonight, a performance that isn’t great, but getting to the line that much is a massive positive for NKU’s key interior piece.
Ethan Elliott Watch:
- After Ethan’s struggles this year and still starting, this has become a featured segment in my articles for the most part. I think now, however, we can move away from this segment as Ethan seems to be gaining confidence and his game is benefiting from it in a great way. Tonight, he had 7 points/3 rebounds/7 assists, he added a steal and turned the ball over just one time! He went 2-6 from the field, and 2-4 from deep.
Key Performances:
- Donovan Oday with 18/3/0, 2 steals, 1 turnover. DO’s performance tonight was the most significant of the night, and he earns player of the game honors from me. Without his intensity on the court, the NKU comeback likely never happens.
- Dan Gherezgher added 17/1/1, 1 steal, 1 turnover (5-7 from deep)
- LJ Wells had a physical 14/9/2, and added a steal. He did, however, turn it over 4 times tonight
- Tae Dozier added 10/2/3, and did not turn the ball over
- Donovan Rakotonanahary added 5/7/0, with 2 steals and 1 turnover. I will add that without his defensive presence tonight, this game turns out significantly different.
Postgame Comments:
Coach Horn complimented Ethan and his 7 assists/one turnover. He also talked about Donovan Oday’s energy off the bench, and the aggression in the 2nd half. DR is one of the best defenders and earned his minutes. Coach called out Kael “He didn’t come ready to play today and it showed.”
In a very telling moment for NKU’s culture, both Ethan Elliott and Donovan Oday gave all of their credit to their teammates other than taking individual credit (Elliott for his rising level of play after his slump, and Oday on reaching 1000 career points).
What I need from You:
I will have more breakdown and thoughts later, but attendance is a mystery to me for NKU right now. I attended NKU from 2015-2020 and the student/fan buy-in seemed to be much better. What drives you to attend vs. not attend NKU games?
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Images from this Afternoon:
