NKU 80, Bellarmine 76

Knight Hall |Louisville, KY

Bellarmine failed to capitalize on a slow shooting start from Northern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon in Louisville, and the Norse made them pay. NKU carried a 44–38 lead into halftime and, importantly, bucked a recent trend by coming out of the break with purpose. The Norse opened the second half on a dominant run, stretching the lead to 63–45 with 13:30 remaining.

Bellarmine, however, did not go quietly. The Knights nearly erased the deficit behind a strong second-half shooting performance, going 6-of-14 from three after the break. With the momentum swinging, Dan Gherezgher delivered the defining play of the game — a steal and emphatic dunk with 3:24 remaining — pushing NKU back out to a 76–67 advantage and forcing Bellarmine into foul mode.

Despite an abysmal second half at the free-throw line, the Norse did enough defensively to close out the win and escape Louisville with a hard-fought road victory.

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Key Performances

Tae Dozier reached a significant milestone, eclipsing 1,000 career points, doing so in front of a large group of family members in attendance. He finished with 12 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists, while adding 2 steals and committing just one turnover.

Dan Gherezgher and LJ Wells led NKU with 17 points apiece. Wells filled the stat sheet with 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal, including a crucial offensive rebound off a missed Donovan Oday free throw late that helped seal the game. Gherezgher added 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and just 1 turnover, continuing his trend of delivering timely buckets whenever NKU needs one.

Kael Robinson provided a major physical presence, finishing with 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists, along with 2 steals. While he did commit 3 turnovers (a team high) and 4 fouls, his physicality and downhill pressure were essential. Without Robinson’s impact, this game likely looks very different.

Donovan Oday rounded out a balanced scoring night, becoming the fifth Norse in double figures with 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. He also played elite on-ball defense, generating 3 steals and providing constant ball pressure.

NKU also received solid contributions from Ryan Tolliver and Donovan Rakotonanahary. Rakotonanahary logged 17 minutes, while Tolliver added 4, giving the rotation valuable rest. Rakotonanahary’s stat line — 1 point, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists — does not jump off the page, but his minutes were productive and steady.

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NKU Takeaways

• Once again, it is fair to question Ethan Elliott’s role, as he logged 29 minutes while continuing to struggle offensively. He finished 1-of-5 from the field, 0-of-2 from three, and 1-of-3 from the free-throw line, including an air-balled attempt. Elliott added 3 rebounds and 3 assists, but NKU will need to evaluate whether this slump is temporary or something that will persist into Horizon League play.

• NKU continues to have difficulty closing teams out after building large leads. While the Norse avoided a flat start to the second half, they again allowed Bellarmine back into the game. Keeping their foot on the gas must become a priority.

• This was a win despite poor shooting, as NKU went just 8-of-25 from three and 8-of-17 from the free-throw line. That combination is typically a recipe for a loss, but NKU’s defensive activity generated easy looks and enough scoring opportunities to survive.

• The Norse forced 18 Bellarmine turnovers, 14 via steals, and turned those into 23 points, compared to just 9 points off turnovers for the Knights. Given that ball security was a known Bellarmine weakness, this was a major and encouraging step forward.

• Tempo control was decisive. Bellarmine prefers games in the 60–65 possession range, but NKU imposed its will and pushed the pace to 70 possessions, ensuring the game was played on NKU’s terms.

Overall, this was a productive road trip for the Norse. The officiating was notably different from what NKU has seen this season, and Coach Horn was visibly frustrated at times — with warranted criticism. That said, the officials did a strong job maintaining control of the game without unnecessary or weak technical fouls.

NKU found a way to win, and that matters — but there are still clear areas that must be cleaned up as conference play approaches.

Next Up: NKU hosts Oakland for a massive Horizon League fixture on Wednesday night! 

This week’s photo album should come out sometime this weekend! 

All photo credits to NKU Athletics.