Balanced Scoring and Late Threes Lift NKU to 82–71 Win Over Eastern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky returned to Truist Arena on Monday looking to build on the progress it showed last week, and it ended up getting a full game’s worth of resistance from Eastern Kentucky. The first half swung back and forth with runs on both sides, and NKU had to steady itself after a slow offensive start and a hot shooting stretch from the Colonels. After the break, the Norse settled in, tightened their defense, and relied on key plays from multiple veterans to take control. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the kind of game that forced NKU to adjust, respond, and close strong. Let's dive into the game with a quick preview of NKU's next opponent to follow.
First Half
NKU Grabs Control After a Choppy Start
The game opened with almost nothing going in for either side. Missed threes, quick jumpers, and long rebounds defined the first few minutes. Once NKU settled, the shots finally started to fall. Oday sparked things with a corner three, then Robinson pushed the pace in transition for a layup. When Gherezgher trailed into a rhythm three a couple possessions later, NKU suddenly had breathing room. Horn wasn’t caught off guard by the rocky start and talked to Jim Kelch and Rick Broering about it postgame:
“We didn’t play well early, especially offensively. We’re an older group, but not one that’s won a lot together. I expected some of that.”
EKU Pushes Back with Timely Shooting
Just as NKU threatened to stretch the game out, EKU caught life on a chaotic save-in-bounds that flipped the momentum. A turnover against full-court pressure followed, and the Colonels immediately turned that into points. Suddenly a 12–2 lead was 14–10.
That run lit a fuse for EKU’s shooters. Buttry came off the bench and drilled a pair of deep threes. Cranford joined in minutes later, hitting from well beyond the line. NKU defended most possessions well, but EKU kept answering with contested makes that prevented the game from tilting too far in either direction. Horn credited EKU afterward.
“Give Eastern Kentucky credit. They played unbelievably hard. A couple of those threes were flat-out fluke plays — balls going out of bounds, guys just turning and slinging it — and they went in.”
Robinson’s Return Sparks a Needed Boost
Kael briefly limped off after a drive but returned quickly and immediately steadied the group. He knocked down a three on his first touch back, then hit another on the next trip. NKU kept creating decent looks in the halfcourt, but EKU’s shotmaking continued to match them. Cranford’s back-to-back threes late in the half flipped the scoreboard, and the Colonels carried that momentum into the final minute.
A Tight Finish Sends NKU to the Break Down Two
Oday answered with a big wing three to stop EKU’s push, but the Colonels closed the half at the line and held a 35–33 advantage. It wasn’t the cleanest half, but NKU handled multiple EKU runs, survived a barrage of tough threes, and still felt right in the mix heading into the locker room.
Second Half
NKU Finds Its Rhythm Right Out of the Gate
The second half belonged to NKU almost immediately. Dan stepped into a transition three to flip the lead back, then scored again on a downhill drive. Oday followed with a second-chance tip-in. Dozier delivered one of the key early sequences — jumping a passing lane for a steal and finishing in transition. That stretch settled NKU and gave them their first real cushion of the night.
Steady Interior Play Helps NKU Take Control
LJ took the middle of the floor over. He scored on back-to-back finishes, cleaned the glass, and helped stabilize the game during the stretch when both teams traded fouls. He added a tip-in and a free throw moments later, keeping NKU in control even while lineups shuffled around foul trouble.
Around the 7:30 mark, both Gherezgher and Oday had four fouls. It forced Horn to juggle combinations, and EKU briefly cut into the margin. But even with altered rotations, NKU kept the floor under control. Horn singled out one moment as a turning point, LJ chasing down an offensive rebound and kicking to Robinson for a three. Check out the highlight below:
💸💸💸 from @KaelJRobinson pic.twitter.com/0ZgzFcHxSO
— NKU Men's Basketball 🏀 (@NKUNorseMBB) November 25, 2025
The Closing Run — Back-to-Back Haymakers
With the game tightening slightly, NKU landed the knockout run. Robinson stepped into a big-time three from the left wing, stretching the lead to nine. A minute later, Oday drove and kicked to Dan for a clean right-side three that put the game firmly in NKU’s hands. Horn loved the committee approach down the stretch:
“Multiple guys stepped up. D.O. was huge, Dan made shots, LJ finished plays, Tay handled pressure. It was a collective effort.”
The Norse controlled the entire second half but still showed some shaky moments against late pressure, coughing up a few avoidable turnovers despite holding a double-digit lead. They’ll have plenty of chances to tighten that up with games coming on Wednesday and Saturday.
Final Numbers and Takeaways
NKU leaned heavily on its core rotation, which isn’t totally ideal in a stretch where the team plays three times in six days. The top six players — Gherezgher, Robinson, Wells, Dozier, Elliott, and Oday — logged 181 of the 200 available minutes. They’ll need more from the bench in the next two games to manage workloads with such little time in between games.
LJ picked up his second double-double of the season and didn’t miss a shot inside the arc. He was efficient and steady all night, and even his unconventional and-one, a would-be dunk that bounced off the front of the rim, up, and in, summed up how well he owned the paint.
Ethan Elliott had a rough outing. He finished 0-for-8 from the field and 0-for-4 from deep, and looked a little hesitant on drives, adjusting his shot midair and a little too worried about avoiding potential blocks. It was also another game where he got picked on defensively. In just 19 minutes of play, he gave up 12 points defensively and those came with EKU taking him off the dribble and getting him in the air on shot fakes. Even so, he enters the week as the Horizon League Freshman of the Week after scoring seven points, handing out eight assists, collecting three steals, and shooting 50 percent from the floor in the win at Central Michigan. He ranked first in assists and tied for first in steals across the league last week.
NKU’s 18-21 performance at the free-throw line was its best percentage of the season and the team’s second-highest total makes on the young season and showed their aggressiveness to get to the rim and draw contact.
Oday delivered another strong scoring night with 18 points, marking his sixth straight game with at least 14. He continues to thrive in a bench role and said afterward he’s willing to do whatever the team needs. He’s now shooting 59.3 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from three, and averaging 2.3 steals per game.
The Colonels managed just 0.877 points per possession in this game and really struggled from deep after halftime. EKU head coach A.W. Hamilton summed up his team’s challenges against NKU’s defense:
“We ran out of gas, and going 2-for-17 in the second half shows that. But the bigger issue was we couldn’t get into the paint. Their zone is designed to keep you out of there — they build a wall, and they do a heck of a job with it.”
Eastern Kentucky's Key Players
Turner Buttry: 30 MIN, 20 PTS, 6-9 FG, 3-5 3PT, 5-5 FT, 0 REB, 1 PF, 0 AST, 0 TO, 1 STL
Juan Cranford Jr.: 29 MIN, 18 PTS, 6-12 FG, 3-8 3PT, 3-5 FT, 2 REB, 5 PF, 0 AST, 4 TO, 2 STL
Jayden Harris: 17 MIN, 13 PTS, 6-8 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, 2 REB, 5 PF, 0 AST, 0 TO, 1 STL
MJ Williams: 32 MIN, 7 PTS, 3-13 FG, 1-8 3PT, 0-2 FT, 8 REB, 3 PF, 0 AST, 1 TO, 1 STL
Yvens Paul: 32 MIN, 6 PTS, 3-5 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-3 FT, 9 REB, 2 PF, 1 AST, 2 TO
Jackson Holt: 30 MIN, 5 PTS, 1-8 FG, 1-6 3PT, 2-2 FT, 8 REB, 1 PF, 2 AST, 2 TO, 1 STL
Northern Kentucky's Key Players
Dan Gherezgher: 33 MIN, 19 PTS, 7-14 FG, 5-9 3PT, 0-0 FT, 4 REB, 4 PF, 4 AST, 3 TO, 1 STL
Donovan Oday: 27 MIN, 18 PTS, 4-7 FG, 2-4 3PT, 8-9 FT, 4 REB, 5 PF, 2 AST, 1 TO, 1 BLK
Kael Robinson: 34 MIN, 17 PTS, 7-12 FG, 3-5 3PT, 0-0 FT, 4 REB, 2 PF, 1 AST, 1 TO, 1 STL, 2 BLK
LJ Wells: 37 MIN, 14 PTS, 6-7 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-2 FT, 11 REB, 4 PF, 1 AST, 1 TO, 3 STL
Tae Dozier: 31 MIN, 8 PTS, 2-6 FG, 0-4 3PT, 4-6 FT, 4 REB, 3 PF, 2 AST, 2 TO, 1 STL
Ethan Elliott: 19 MIN, 0 PTS, 0-8 FG, 0-4 3PT, 0-0 FT, 1 REB, 0 PF, 2 AST, 1 TO
Eastern Kentucky
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Northern Kentucky
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|---|---|---|
| Field Goals (FG) | 25-60 (41.7%) | 27-59 (45.8%) |
| Three-Point FG (3PT) | 9-33 (27.3%) | 10-30 (33.3%) |
| Free Throws (FT) | 12-19 (63.2%) | 18-21 (85.7%) |
| Total Rebounds (Offensive) | 35 (12) | 34 (9) |
| Assists | 6 | 12 |
| Steals | 6 | 9 |
| Blocks | 1 | 3 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 11 |
| Points Off Turnovers | 14 | 13 |
| Fast Break Points | 17 | 15 |
| Points in the Paint | 26 | 32 |
| Personal Fouls | 17 | 18 |
| Largest Lead | 3 | 16 |
Up Next- Wofford Terriers @ Truist Arena 2 pm
NKU has a quick turnaround with an afternoon tip coming on Wednesday. Wofford enters at 4-2 with wins over Milwaukee and Bellarmine, two teams NKU will see later this season. The Norse will also look to stay perfect at home.
Wofford enters the NKU game coming off a tournament appearance last year, but a turbulent stretch this offseason that included the dismissal of head coach Dwight Perry and associate head coach Tysor Anderson. The move stemmed from a housing and meal-plan miscommunication that left six players with minor “impermissible benefits” that totaled roughly $84 to $108 each after using on-campus meal plans while living off campus. The players had expected upperclassmen housing but were assigned to underclassmen dorms, prompting Anderson to suggest temporary off-campus apartments. A week later, they were told they needed to be on campus to remain eligible, forcing them to break their leases.
Wofford self-reported the violation as a low-level NCAA infraction, and while the NCAA later clarified it had not suspended any players or taken action against staff, the mishandling of the situation ultimately led to both coaches being removed.
Into that void steps first-year head coach Kevin Giltner, who is 36 and one of the youngest coaches in Division I and hired on September 22nd as Wofford worked through the fallout of Perry’s departure. A 2012 Wofford graduate, Giltner brings deep ties to the program and a résumé built on winning and player development. He spent the last six seasons on Mike Young’s staff at Virginia Tech, helping the Hokies reach multiple NCAA Tournaments and win an ACC championship, and previously spent six years as a Wofford assistant during the program’s most successful era.
Wofford leans heavily on its guards for scoring, led by Kahmare Holmes and Nils Machowski. Holmes, a sophomore, is averaging 16.6 points and 5.4 rebounds on 49.1 percent shooting and has topped 20 points in three of the Terriers’ first five games, though he did not play Friday against Erskine.
As a team, Wofford is one of the shortest groups in Division I, ranked 12th shortest nationally in average height, which is why 6'1 guard Luke Flynn leads them in rebounding. The Terriers are shooting 54.3 percent on two-pointers, 30.7 percent from three, and sit at No. 217 in KenPom, just behind NKU at No. 212.
