The Norse are headed into the depths of the Jungle Thursday Night to play a feisty IU Indy squad!

Game Information

• Matchup: Northern Kentucky Norse (15-11, 7-8 Horizon) vs. IU Indy Jaguars (7-18, 3-12 Horizon)
• Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
• Time: 6:30 PM ET
• Venue: The Jungle (Indianapolis, IN)
• Watch: ESPN+

The first NKU vs. IU Indy matchup was electric with NKU coming back from a slow first half to win by 9. If you want to catch up on the game flow from that one, you can find it here! NKU vs. IU Indy Pt. 1

I will have a full Horizon League breakdown this weekend, but want to hold off as there are a ton of impactful matchups tonight across the league! NKU currently sits in 7th place, however, they are just 1 game out of 5th place and 2 games out of 3rd. The problem NKU is running into is simply time. NKU has just 5 games remaining on the year and will need to win 4 of these at a minimum to have a shot at catching 3rd place (not likely either way).

Why tonight is the Pivot Point: IU Indy is exactly the kind of team the top of the Horizon League beats. While the Jaguars are fun to watch and dangerous when they get hot, they have lost eight straight to the Norse. If NKU wants to prove they belong in that top tier, this isn’t just a game they should win—it’s one they must dominate.

The Stakes: A “Must-Win” for the Norse

Northern Kentucky heads to Indianapolis as 5.5-point favorites with a clear mandate: take care of business. The Norse (15-11, 7-8 Horizon) view themselves as one of the Horizon League’s premier programs, but their current sub-.500 conference record demands urgency. To secure a favorable seed for the league tournament—and to validate their internal expectations—defeating the teams at the bottom of the standings is non-negotiable.

IU Indy (7-18, 3-12 Horizon) has played the role of the scrappy underdog all season. While they are undeniably fun to watch and competitive in spurts, they have consistently been the team that the league’s upper echelon beats. For NKU, a loss here wouldn’t just be a stumble; it would be a significant indictment of their postseason viability.

Matchup Breakdown

1. IU Indy’s Flash

• The Jaguars’ Threat: IU Indy can be dangerous when they play loose. Freshman Maguire Mitchell and scorer Kyler D’Augustino can heat up quickly, and their recent 87-point outing against Milwaukee proved they have the firepower to stress a defense.

2. Historical Dominance

• History is firmly on the visitors’ side. NKU has won eight straight meetings in this series, including an 81-72 victory earlier this season.

3. The Road Hurdle

• NKU is just 4-7 on the road this season. To win this matchup, they must avoid the slow starts that have plagued them away from Highland Heights. They cannot afford to let an energized home team hang around late into the second half.

Keys to the Game:

1. Rebounding
   • IU Indy is 256th in the nation on the offensive glass, and somehow worse (354th nationally) on the defensive glass. While this is clearly not necessarily a heavy strength for NKU, they are 151st in offensive rebounding and 285th on the defensive glass, giving them a significant statistical advantage on paper.
   • The first matchup, however, saw IU Indy grab 34 total rebounds to just 29 from NKU. This is not something that NKU will be able to repeat in Indianapolis tonight if they want to win.
2. FT Disparities
   • In the first matchup on 1/1, IU Indy took just 6 free throws off of 9 total NKU fouls. This is a trend with IU Indy, who is the worst team in the country at getting to the free throw line on offense.
   • The Jaguars also pair that by being 354th (out of 365) in sending opponents to the free throw line. The result? A massive discrepancy in that area. In the first meeting, NKU got to the FT line 25 times, making just 15 of the attempts. They drew 20 Jaguar fouls. NKU will look to replicate this.
3. Health
   • In a matchup such as this, having a full complement of players is crucial. I do not expect to see Kael tonight, however, the remainder of the roster should be available. Donovan R is still dealing with his lingering injury, and both LJ/Ethan were working towards 100% last time out. Both should be fully ready to go tonight.

Jaguar Rotation

As always, I’m using the previous game’s rotation to help guide this portion of the article. slight variance is possible!

Starters:

Player	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	Shooting (FG% / 3PT% / FT%)
Kyler D’Augustino	32	19.0	3.0	4.0	53% / 40% / 82%
Jaxon Edwards	23	12.0	6.0	2.0	52% / 18% / 72%
Maguire Mitchell	24	10.0	2.0	1.0	40% / 33% / 75%
Finley Woodward	30	9.0	5.0	6.0	53% / 0% / 69%
Reece Hagy	12	3.0	2.0	1.0	48% / 25% / 57%

Key Bench Contributors

Matt Compas (G): A reliable depth piece appearing in every game; looks to score inside (49% FG) rather than from deep.

Micah Davis (G): The sixth man. Plays starter minutes (25 MPG) and contributes 9 points and 3 assists. A steady hand who will be on the floor during high-leverage moments.

Kameron Tinsley (F): Efficient from the stripe (84% FT) and provides a scoring spark (8 PPG) in 18 minutes of action.

Aiden Miller (F): A physical presence off the bench averaging 4 rebounds and a steal in just 15 minutes.

IU Indy is a bit of a statistical anomaly. They play at the 3rd fastest tempo in the nation, yet they struggle with the fundamental “math” of basketball: they don’t shoot the three well, they don’t get to the free-throw line, and they are among the worst in the country at rebounding.

The Bottom Line: If NKU controls the glass and avoids the track meet getting sloppy, their historical dominance over the Jaguars should continue. If they let the Jags play “loose and fast” in The Jungle, things could get interesting.