Northern Kentucky 92, Brescia 53

NKU faced off against the Brescia Bearcats (NAIA) in their final non-Division I matchup of the year. The Norse played down to their competition for the first eight minutes or so before pulling away late in the first half, building a commanding 50-21 lead at the break. However, NKU once again came out flat after halftime—a growing concern for this team.

Diving into NKU’s performance, Kael Robinson led all scorers with 23 points, but the Norse had a balanced attack with six players reaching double figures. Here’s a breakdown:

Player	Points	Rebounds	Assists	Other Stats
Kael Robinson	23	5	0	1 turnover
Tae Dozier	13	5	0	2 steals, 2 blocks, 1 turnover
Dan Gherezgher	12	2	3	2 turnovers
LJ Wells	11	9	1	1 turnover, 1 block
Bryce Darbyshire	11	7	0	1 turnover, 1 steal, 1 block
Donovan Oday	11	7	2	1 turnover, 1 steal

At one stretch in the second half, Brescia outscored NKU 24-18. I get that this was an NAIA opponent and the game was essentially decided by halftime, but the Norse need to figure out how to emerge from the break with more energy and avoid giving teams any glimmer of hope. Lapses like this cost them in Fort Wayne, and while it didn’t bite them tonight, Horizon League play won’t tolerate those kinds of slips. That said, I want to point out that rotations were very much so not the normal ones tonight. No one played more than 27 minutes (Ethan Elliott), with the next highest being Dan Gherezgher’s 23. This was a solid chance for key players like LJ Wells, Kael Robinson, Donovan Oday, and Tae Dozier to log fewer minutes than usual.

In his postgame comments, Coach Horn emphasized that the contributions from Bryce and Ryan were crucial for their development and growth this season. He hopes both both are able to provide meaningful minutes during Horizon League action. He also shared that after Saturday’s letdown, the team practiced twice on Sunday and had a full, intense session yesterday. The squad looked a bit fatigued, which likely played into their subpar 10-of-35 (30%) shooting from deep. All that aside, Coach Horn was pleased with the defensive progress and how the team handled some mild adversity.

On a concerning note: the disappearance of Ethan Elliott. He was scoreless again tonight, tallying just 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers. At this point, I’m worried about him logging 27 minutes per game. I didn’t get to ask Coach Horn about his recent form tonight, but I’ll raise it when I have the chance next week. Overall, this was a strong bounce-back opportunity for the Norse after a rough showing last weekend. There’s not a ton to glean from dominating an overmatched opponent, but NKU managed to rest starters while getting quality reps from rotational pieces who could provide pivotal depth down the line.

Keep an eye out for my new Norse segment, featuring a full photo album from each game! As I’m handling the editing myself, I appreciate your patience while I roll out the photos in the days following the action.

Up next: NKU heads on the road to face the Bellarmine Knights on Saturday! I’ll have a full game preview and will be there in person to cover the Norse battling the Knights.