Kael Robinson Goes Nuclear with 9 Threes in NKU’s 85–67 Statement Win

Northern Kentucky wasted little time turning a road conference game into a statement. From the opening minutes, the Norse imposed their will with pace, physicality, and relentless effort on the glass, steadily stretching the floor and suffocating Milwaukee’s ability to respond. What started as a competitive early exchange quickly became a showcase of control, confidence, and depth as NKU dictated every phase of the night and never let the outcome drift into doubt.

First Half

Fast Start, Physical Tone Set Early

The opening minutes were balanced and competitive, with both teams landing early punches. Milwaukee got going with a pair of corner threes, but NKU answered by leaning into its identity. Second chances flipped the early flow, with Tae Dozier knocking down a three off the offensive glass and LJ Wells scoring on a hard post touch. That work inside steadied the Norse and opened the floor.

Robinson Heats Up as Milwaukee Shoots Back

Kael Robinson’s trail three pushed NKU in front 12–6 and sparked a shooting stretch that defined the half. Milwaukee stayed within striking distance by hitting four threes in the first six minutes, repeatedly answering runs and refusing to let the game break open early. Even with Milwaukee’s shot-making, NKU kept control by winning the margins.

Second Chances Flip the Game

The offensive glass became the separator. NKU piled up 14 second-chance points in the first 10 minutes, extending possessions and wearing Milwaukee down. A Dozier runout dunk after a made basket forced Milwaukee into its second timeout, and moments later Ethan Elliott buried a three off an offensive rebound to push the lead to double figures again.

Avalanche to Close the Half

From there, it turned into a rout. Robinson caught fire with four first-half threes, then added a fifth as the lead ballooned to 20. Dozier punctuated the stretch with a putback dunk and then finished a lob from Elliott that summed up the Norse’s energy and confidence. NKU closed the half with nine threes, 12 assists to just three turnovers, and complete control. The Norse walked into the locker room up 55–37, fully dictating the game.

Second Half

No Letdown Out of the Locker Room

Northern Kentucky did not give Milwaukee the opening it was looking for. Dan Gherezgher was tripped with no whistle on the first possession and Milwaukee scored in transition, but that was about as much momentum as the Panthers found. Milwaukee mixed in some early zone after playing almost exclusively man, clearly searching for something to slow the game. NKU stayed composed, won the first media segment 10–7, and avoided the sluggish starts that have popped up at times this season.

Pace, Pressure, and Robinson Keeps It Stretching

Kael Robinson’s sixth three of the night came off yet another offensive rebound with more than 16 minutes still on the clock, a snapshot of how little breathing room Milwaukee had. Donovan Rakotonanahary followed with back-to-back layups simply by pushing the ball and beating Milwaukee down the floor, even off makes. NKU’s pace never dipped, and every small Milwaukee run was met immediately.

Steady Hands as Fouls Become the Only Concern

LJ Wells picked up his fourth foul just before the midway point of the half, but it never disrupted NKU’s rhythm. Tae Dozier continued a quiet, steady performance, controlling possessions and making the right play without forcing anything. Milwaukee got solid individual efforts from Josh Dixon, who was far more effective after scoring just four points in the first half, and freshman Stevie Elam, but the collective gap never closed.

Closing It Without Drama

Oday’s corner three kept the lead hovering around 20 and drained any lingering belief on the Milwaukee side. When Wells fouled out with 5:41 remaining, NKU barely blinked, still up 20 and fully in control. Robinson’s ninth three, a deep wing three, put an emphatic cap on a dominant night. The second half never wavered, and NKU finished the job with authority.

Final Numbers and Takeaways

Every hustle play and 50/50 ball tilted Northern Kentucky’s way, and it showed up across the box score. NKU put up 85 points despite Dan Gherezgher scoring just six and going 0–12 from three, while LJ Wells combined with him for only 11 points and fouled out. Even more telling, the Norse generated 28 fast break points and 20 points off of just 9 Milwaukee turnovers.

The effort level and defensive activity looked like a group turning a corner, even accounting for Milwaukee’s banged-up roster. Northern Kentucky mixed its coverages throughout the night, playing 23 possessions of man defense and 43 possessions of fist/zone against the Panthers. Despite the difference in volume, the Norse allowed just one more point in fist/zone than they did in man. That translated to a stark efficiency gap: 1.304 points per possession allowed in man defense compared to just 0.721 in fist/zone, marking NKU's best PPP in fist against a Division 1 opponent this season.

The story of the night, though, was Kael Robinson. He drilled 9 threes, setting a new season high with 29 points and passed Gherezgher for the most made threes by an NKU player in a game this season, after hitting seven earlier this year against Purdue Fort Wayne. With family in attendance from New Zealand, Robinson delivered a career night, tying the NKU Division I record for made threes, a mark set by Tyler Sharpe on January 16, 2020. Postgame Horn talked about Kael's family in attendance:

“His dad was here earlier this year and he played well, but his mom is here now, and there’s no impact like a mom. I’ve already talked to her about getting to more games if he’s going to shoot it like that.”

Tae Dozier delivered his first double-double of the season and filled the gaps Northern Kentucky needed all night. He pulled down five offensive rebounds and went 5-for-6 inside the arc, consistently creating extra possessions and finishing through contact. With LJ Wells in foul trouble for much of the second half, Dozier became the Norse’s anchor on the glass and answered that call without hesitation.

Beyond the scoring and rebounding, Dozier’s all-around impact stood out. He finished with four assists against just one turnover, added two steals and a block, and controlled the game with his physicality and decision-making. Head coach Darrin Horn singled him out postgame:

“You can make the argument that Tae is our most complete player in terms of impacting the game in every area with consistency. He makes winning plays, handles the ball, rebounds, defends, and does whatever the team needs. When you have a guy playing the game that way, it’s contagious.”

Donovan Oday posted his fifth 20-point game of the season and once again brought instant offense off the bench. He was lightning in a bottle the moment he checked in, scoring efficiently and with purpose. Oday went 6-for-9 from the field, a tough way to get to 21 points with so few shot attempts, and pulling down six rebounds.

Ethan Elliott’s impact went well beyond the scoring column. He finished with just five points, but controlled the game with eight assists against only one turnover. His ability to advance the ball, create easy looks, and keep the offense organized continues to set him apart as one of the most reliable playmakers in the league, especially when it comes to creating for others without giving possessions away.

This game marked Milwaukee’s fourth straight loss, and the absence of Faizon Fields showed up most clearly on the glass, where Northern Kentucky consistently won second and third efforts. Even the little things went sideways for the Panthers. Josh Dixon entered the night shooting 95.0% from the free throw line at 38-of-40 on the season, but went 0-for-3 at the stripe, a sharp contrast that summed up how little was breaking Milwaukee’s way.

Dixon still found ways to contribute after scoring just four points in the first half, and freshman Stevie Elam continued to show encouraging flashes despite the team’s struggles. Milwaukee was also without Danilo Jovanovich for the entire second half, a significant loss given that he typically plays more than 30 minutes per game, with a potential injury appearing to keep him sidelined.

For a team that almost exclusively plays man-to-man, Milwaukee turned to the zone far more than usual. The Panthers played 21 zone possessions, all of which came in the second half, after using it for just 18 possessions total coming into the game, as Bart Lundy searched for anything to make NKU work harder offensively. Northern Kentucky scored 11 points across those 21 possessions, a stretch that was more effective defensively for Milwaukee and held the Norse to just 0.524 points per possession against the zone.

Northern Kentucky’s Key Players

Kael Robinson: 32 MIN, 29 PTS, 9-17 FG, 9-13 3PT, 2-2 FT, 7 REB, 1 PF, 0 AST, 2 TO, 0 BLK, 1 STL
Donovan Oday: 23 MIN, 21 PTS, 6-9 FG, 3-5 3PT, 6-7 FT, 6 REB, 4 PF, 2 AST, 1 TO, 0 BLK, 3 STL
Tae Dozier: 34 MIN, 13 PTS, 6-11 FG, 1-5 3PT, 0-0 FT, 10 REB, 3 PF, 4 AST, 1 TO, 1 BLK, 2 STL
Dan Gherezgher: 29 MIN, 6 PTS, 2-16 FG, 0-12 3PT, 2-2 FT, 3 REB, 1 PF, 4 AST, 2 TO, 0 BLK, 0 STL
Ethan Elliott: 33 MIN, 5 PTS, 2-4 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, 4 REB, 0 PF, 8 AST, 1 TO, 0 BLK, 0 STL
LJ Wells: 22 MIN, 5 PTS, 2-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1-3 FT, 9 REB, 5 PF, 1 AST, 2 TO, 0 BLK, 0 STL

Milwaukee’s Key Players

Stevie Elam: 24 MIN, 16 PTS, 5-8 FG, 3-6 3PT, 3-3 FT, 7 REB, 2 PF, 1 AST, 1 TO, 0 BLK, 1 STL
Josh Dixon: 27 MIN, 14 PTS, 7-12 FG, 0-4 3PT, 0-3 FT, 0 REB, 3 PF, 2 AST, 2 TO, 0 BLK, 0 STL
Amar Augillard: 16 MIN, 11 PTS, 3-13 FG, 1-7 3PT, 4-4 FT, 1 REB, 0 PF, 0 AST, 0 TO, 0 BLK, 0 STL
Aaron Franklin: 30 MIN, 10 PTS, 4-5 FG, 0-0 3PT, 2-5 FT, 6 REB, 3 PF, 2 AST, 1 TO, 0 BLK, 1 STL
Danilo Jovanovich: 16 MIN, 2 PTS, 1-4 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 1 REB, 1 PF, 1 AST, 0 TO, 1 BLK, 0 STL

	Milwaukee	Northern Kentucky
Field Goals (FG)	25-56 (44.6%)	29-65 (44.6%)
Three-Point FG (3PT)	6-24 (25.0%)	14-39 (35.9%)
Free Throws (FT)	11-19 (57.9%)	13-16 (81.3%)
Total Rebounds (Offensive)	29 (10)	43 (18)
Assists	11	19
Steals	4	7
Blocks	3	1
Turnovers	9	9
Points Off Turnovers	11	20
Fast Break Points	11	28
Points in the Paint	34	30
Personal Fouls	17	16
Largest Lead	1	22

Up Next- @ Green Bay 1/11 | 2pm

Northern Kentucky heads to Green Bay next, where the Phoenix are coming off a 75–59 home win over IU Indy. Green Bay controlled that game from start to finish, only allowing a brief late push from the Jaguars that never truly threatened the outcome. Already sitting at 4–2 in Horizon League play, the Phoenix have doubled their conference win total from last season.

“Green Bay is a much improved basketball team and a completely different type of team than the one we saw tonight. It’s a quick turnaround with an early start, so it’ll be a big challenge on Sunday.”

Follow all the action with Jim Kelch and Rick Broering on ESPN 1530 with pregame coverage starting at 1:30 pm on January 11th! You can also watch the game on ESPN+.