Defense and Free Throws Carry NKU to a 79–77 Road Win at RMU

Northern Kentucky went into Moon Township and survived a full 40 minutes of Robert Morris shot-making and offensive rebounding, escaping with a 79–77 win. The Colonials hit from deep and owned the glass, but NKU leaned on poise, physicality, and timely defense.

First Half

RMU jumps out fast, NKU absorbs the punch

Robert Morris dictated the opening minutes, drilling early threes and racing out to a 16–4 lead. It could have spiraled quickly, especially on the road, but NKU never looked rattled. That composure stood out to Coach Horn in the postgame discussion with Jim Kelch and Rick Broering:

“We had a really poor start, but I could never tell how we were playing by watching our guys. We just really had a poise and stuck with it.”

Defense flips the game before the offense ever heats up

The turning point wasn’t shooting, it was stops. After Robert Morris reached 22 points with just under 11 minutes left in the half, the Colonials managed only two points over the next five minutes. That defensive stretch gave NKU room to settle in and change the tempo. Live-ball turnovers became runouts, runouts became layups, and the Norse climbed back possession by possession instead of forcing shots.

Paint pressure and late execution erase the deficit

As the half settled, NKU leaned hard into the paint. LJ Wells battled inside, Oday attacked gaps, and the Norse kept getting to the foul line. Kael Robinson’s shot-making finally swung momentum, and NKU closed the half with purpose and a lead. A steal and finish from Oday, followed by free throws from Gherezgher, sent NKU into the locker room up 43–41 after trailing by double digits early.

Second Half

Trading blows until defense becomes the separator

The second half opened as a tug-of-war. Every NKU bucket seemed to be answered by a Robert Morris three or a second-chance finish. When RMU briefly grabbed the lead midway through the half, NKU responded the same way it did earlier: pressure defense leading to easy points. Horn pointed to that stretch as the most encouraging sign of the night.

“First time in the second half where our defense has been really strong, especially when we needed it to be. They were 41% from the field in the second half. I thought our guys really battled.”

Elliott’s response and the bench swing the game

Ethan Elliott’s night told the story of NKU’s resilience. He missed a three, got fouled on another, and missed all three free throws early, then never stopped playing. Off the bench, Shawn Nelson delivered exactly what NKU needed: defense first and simple offense. His two transition finishes and late defensive possessions mattered in a game decided by inches.

Final run creates space, free throws finish it

NKU’s decisive run came when stops stacked into transition baskets, pushing the lead to nine. Robert Morris made one last push behind effort plays and second chances, but Oday’s ability to get fouled and convert at the line sealed it.

“Twenty-seven free throw attempts on the road was really the difference. That was physicality, getting to the foul line, and playing in transition.”

RMU’s final tip-in at the horn made the score tighter than the control NKU showed in the final seconds, winning the game 79-77.

Final Numbers and Takeaways

Robert Morris entered the night unbeaten at home, and the Colonials leaned heavily on the three-point line to stay there. They made nine more threes than NKU and attempted 20 more from deep, but the Norse countered by living in the paint and at the free throw line. NKU consistently attacked gaps, finishing inside and drawing fouls, taking and making 13 more free throws than RMU. That contrast defined the game.

Ethan Elliott’s night summed up NKU’s growth in league play. He airballed his first three, then missed all three free throws after getting fouled on another attempt. None of it rattled him. Elliott came right back later in the first half and knocked down a three during NKU’s push. On the season, Elliott is shooting 35% from the field, but over the first four conference games that number jumps to 42.3%, and he has scored in double figures in each of his last two league games. Afterward, Horn pointed to Elliott’s response as a key moment, noting how he stayed focused and kept playing through adversity.

The opening seven minutes were rough, but the game turned quickly after a timeout. A Dan Gherezgher left-hand drive and finish helped settle things, and from that point on NKU poured in 75 points over the final 33 minutes. The offense had several solid runs in this game, and for the most part it stayed steady and efficient as the Norse chipped away and then took control of the game.

Defensively, this was one of NKU’s better second halves of the season. The Norse held Robert Morris to 36 points after the break, tying the lowest second-half total they’ve allowed against a Division I opponent this year. The only other times NKU had limited teams to similar production were at Tennessee, when the Volunteers scored 43 in the second half, and at home against Wofford, when the Terriers scored 40. Pace played a major role. NKU kept pushing, stretching possessions, and wearing RMU down. Even the RMU broadcast noted multiple times how fatigued the Colonials looked as turnovers started to pile up.

Those first and second half runs were fueled in part by one lineup that quietly controlled the game. The group of Dan Gherezgher Jr., Shawn Nelson, LJ Wells, Donovan Oday, and Donovan Rakotonanahary logged the most possessions together and was NKU’s most effective unit. In 15 possessions, that lineup scored 18 points, allowed just 9, and forced 3 turnovers.

Kael Robinson’s patience continues to elevate the offense when he’s on the floor. His ability to play under control in the post, score around defenders, or find cutters keeps the offense moving. Add in how lethal he’s been from three, and NKU’s offense looks its best with Robinson dictating pace and decision-making.

Robert Morris did control the glass, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds, seven of them from DeSean Goode, and turning those into 20 second-chance points compared to NKU’s six. Winning the rebounding battle was always going to be tough for the Norse. In this game, it didn’t matter. NKU’s pace and efficiency made the math work anyway.

The final stamp came from LJ Wells. With the shot clock winding down and just four seconds left, Wells caught the ball well beyond the arc on the left wing. He took two dribbles, faded toward the baseline, and buried a tough jumper over Ryan Prather. It was a veteran bucket that gave NKU control over the final minute and a half and sealed a gritty road win. Check out the biggest bucket for the Norse below:

Late, NKU nearly let the game slip. Up 77–75 with possession, Tae Dozier inbounded to a leaping Donovan Oday, but Oday was on the baseline, giving the ball back to Robert Morris with a chance to tie or take the lead. RMU almost turned it over immediately, then used a timeout to save the possession. Coming out of the break and deep into the shot clock, Albert Vargas drove the lane and had a workable look at the rim, but opted to kick it out to Ryan Prather. The pass sailed long and out of bounds, and the Norse dodged a major bullet in the final seconds. Vargas finished the game with 6 assists, but 7 costly turnovers.

This wasn’t a night where NKU was lights out from three. It was a road win built on patience, defense, and toughness. NKU didn’t need to be perfect, just composed, and that identity showed for 40 minutes.

“We don’t feel like we have to play a certain way to win. Tonight, that was physicality. That was getting to the foul line. And finding a way.”

Robert Morris' Key Players

DeSean Goode: 33 MIN, 18 PTS, 7-8 FG, 2-2 3PT, 2-4 FT, 14 REB, 1 PF, 3 AST, 2 TO, 1 BLK, 0 STL
Kamari Chitikoudis: 29 MIN, 13 PTS, 6-12 FG, 0-0 3PT, 1-3 FT, 4 REB, 1 PF, 2 AST, 1 TO, 1 BLK, 2 STL
Ryan Prather Jr.: 38 MIN, 15 PTS, 6-13 FG, 3-8 3PT, 0-0 FT, 4 REB, 2 PF, 5 AST, 0 TO, 0 BLK, 1 STL
Albert Vargas: 35 MIN, 15 PTS, 4-10 FG, 3-8 3PT, 4-5 FT, 2 REB, 2 PF, 6 AST, 7 TO, 0 BLK, 0 STL
Josh Hill: 17 MIN, 8 PTS, 3-7 FG, 2-4 3PT, 0-0 FT, 5 REB, 2 PF, 1 AST, 1 TO, 1 BLK, 0 STL

Northern Kentucky’s Key Players

Donovan Oday: 25 MIN, 16 PTS, 4-11 FG, 0-3 3PT, 8-9 FT, 3 REB, 0 PF, 2 AST, 2 TO, 0 BLK, 3 STL
LJ Wells: 33 MIN, 14 PTS, 7-11 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 8 REB, 3 PF, 0 AST, 2 TO, 0 BLK, 2 STL
Dan Gherezgher: 34 MIN, 14 PTS, 4-10 FG, 0-3 3PT, 6-8 FT, 3 REB, 1 PF, 2 AST, 4 TO, 0 BLK, 0 STL
Ethan Elliott: 25 MIN, 11 PTS, 5-7 FG, 1-2 3PT, 0-3 FT, 1 REB, 3 PF, 2 AST, 0 TO, 0 BLK, 3 STL
Kael Robinson: 24 MIN, 11 PTS, 4-8 FG, 2-4 3PT, 1-2 FT, 3 REB, 1 PF, 3 AST, 1 TO, 0 BLK, 0 STL

	Robert Morris	Northern Kentucky
Field Goals (FG)	29-63 (46.0%)	28-52 (53.8%)
Three-Point FG (3PT)	12-32 (37.5%)	3-12 (25.0%)
Free Throws (FT)	7-14 (50.0%)	20-27 (74.1%)
Total Rebounds (Offensive)	38 (15)	28 (5)
Assists	23	12
Steals	3	10
Blocks	3	1
Turnovers	15	12
Points Off Turnovers	15	16
Fast Break Points	7	15
Points in the Paint	26	46
Personal Fouls	17	15
Largest Lead	13	9

Up Next- @ Truist Arena vs IU-Indy | 2pm

IU Indy comes to Truist Arena playing at a breakneck pace. The Jaguars rank No. 1 nationally in adjusted tempo, but that speed hasn’t translated to results yet. They enter the matchup 0–4 in Horizon League play, with losses to Cleveland State and Green Bay. For NKU, it’s a good early test of discipline. The Norse will need to control tempo, value possessions, and avoid getting dragged into a rushed game.

Follow all the action with Jim Kelch and Rick Broering on ESPN 1530 with pregame coverage starting at 1:30 pm on January 1st! You can also watch the game on ESPN+.