Northern Kentucky 87

Purdue Fort Wayne 71

In the midst of some Horizon League chaos (and with Detroit idle until Friday), the Norse picked up a pivotal win.

The first 14 minutes were a back-and-forth affair, with Purdue Fort Wayne holding a slim 25–23 lead. The Mastodons’ final lead of the night came at 28–26 with 5:03 remaining in the half; from that point on, NKU took control.

Postgame, Coach Horn praised the first-half defensive effort but noted that the intensity faltered down the stretch—identifying that consistency as the team’s biggest area for growth. While he mentioned the officiating “whistle” seemed to shift in the second half, he was far more focused on the positives: a dominant performance in the paint and a winning effort on the glass.

Revisiting the Three Keys

1. Rebounding

NKU held a decisive advantage on the glass, out-rebounding the Mastodons 37–29. This translated to an 8–5 edge in second-chance points and a massive 44–24 scoring advantage in the paint. The Norse did an excellent job “walling up” and defending inside without over-fouling.

2. Turnovers

Against a Purdue Fort Wayne team that leads the Horizon in steals, ball security was paramount. NKU committed 11 turnovers (leading to 12 PFW points) but forced 13 turnovers on the other end, converting them into 14 points. Forcing more mistakes than they gave up was a massive win for the Norse.

3. Shooting

The Norse were efficient from deep, finishing 10-of-29. More importantly, these shots came within the natural flow of the offense. Unlike previous games where the team had a tendency to “heave” contested threes, tonight’s looks were disciplined and earned.

Bonus Key: Free Throws

Discipline has been an issue this season, but NKU showed progress by committing only three fouls in the first half. While the second half was a different story—PFW shot 20 free throws on 15 Norse fouls—the overall effort to defend cleanly was a step in the right direction.

Key Norse Performances

NKU relied on a balanced attack, headlined by a monster night from LJ Wells:

• LJ Wells: 29 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK (Only 2 TOs)
• Dan Gherezgher: 13 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST
• Donovan Oday: 12 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL
• Kael Robinson: 11 PTS, 5 REB
• Ethan Elliott: 9 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST (Team-high +23)
• Tae Dozier: 8 PTS, 15 REB (Career High!)

For Purdue Fort Wayne:

• DeAndre Craig: 24 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST
• Corey Hadnot II: 20 PTS, 3 AST. Expect Hadnot to be a high-major target in the portal for his final year of eligibility.

Horizon League Standings Update:

The standings are in a state of absolute chaos. Wright State has carved out a two-game cushion at the top, while the middle of the pack is a logjam. With this win, NKU moves into 6th place and secures the tiebreaker over Purdue Fort Wayne.

Standings:

Team	Conference Record	Games Back
Wright State	12–4	—
Oakland	10–6	2.0
Robert Morris	10–7	2.5
Green Bay	10–7	2.5
Detroit Mercy	9–7	3.0
NKU	9–8	3.5
Purdue Fort Wayne	9–8	3.5

Up Next: NKU is at Youngstown State on Sunday for a 2:00 tip-off.

Pictures from NKU’s Win: