NKU Battles Back From Double Digits, but Late Scoring Woes Prove Costly Against Charleston

Northern Kentucky’s final nonconference test before the break turned into a familiar kind of grind. Charleston’s size and experience put pressure on the Norse early, and while NKU showed real fight with a second-half surge that briefly flipped the game, key mistakes and missed stops late proved costly. The 85–74 loss was less about effort and more about execution, leaving the Norse with clear lessons as they head toward conference play.

First Half

Paint Packed, Rhythm Disrupted

From the opening possessions, Charleston dictated where NKU could operate. The Cougars packed the paint, used their size to wall off driving lanes, and forced the Norse into a half-court game that never fully settled. NKU competed physically and didn’t get pushed around, but the offense lacked flow. Ball movement stalled, and too many possessions ended without a decisive action. Coach Darrin Horn pointed to that hesitation in the postgame interview with Jim Kelch and Rick Broering:

“We played really hard, but we didn’t play with a level of aggressiveness. We passed up a bunch of open looks in the first half.”

Turnovers Cancel Out the Extra Effort

The Norse crashed the glass, extended possessions, and gave themselves second chances. The problem was those opportunities didn’t turn into points often enough because of turnovers. Empty possessions piled up, and Charleston didn’t need to press or trap to force mistakes.

Charleston’s Guards Settle the Game

As the half wore on, Charleston’s guards found comfort operating in space. Jlynn Counter began attacking one-on-one, and the Cougars consistently got downhill when NKU’s defense was late or out of position. Even when NKU strung together solid defensive possessions, fouls and breakdowns at the rim prevented any real run. The result was a steady Charleston push that stretched the margin without needing a knockout blow.

Second Half

Lineup Changes Spark Energy

NKU came out of the locker room with a different look and a different edge. Smaller lineups opened the floor, and Donovan Oday immediately changed the tempo with his activity around the basket. The Norse attacked earlier in the shot clock and finally forced Charleston to react instead of dictate. Horn said the adjustment was intentional:

“We wanted to play a little bit smaller… spread the floor more so we could drive it.”

Momentum Swings and a Brief Lead

That stretch produced NKU’s best basketball of the afternoon. The deficit disappeared quickly, and the Norse briefly grabbed the lead as the building came to life. Shot quality improved, defensive energy picked up, and for a few minutes, Charleston looked uncomfortable. It was the clearest glimpse of what this group can be when things connect.

Charleston Answers Through Counter

Every time NKU threatened to take control, Charleston responded behind Jlynn Counter. He shifted fully into attack mode, winning individual matchups and making tough shots when the Cougars needed them most. As NKU tried to speed the game up defensively, Charleston punished them by getting into the lane and to the free-throw line.

Stops Don’t Come When Needed

Down the stretch, NKU generated the looks it wanted. The ball found shooters. But without defensive stops, those misses became back-breaking. A missed rebound here, a late rotation there, and Charleston turned those moments into points at the line. Horn summed it up simply:

“All you can ask is to get great looks. But that’s why the stops are so important. We didn’t get them when we had to have them.”

Final Numbers and Takeaways

Before the game's tip, Tae Dozier was recognized for reaching 1,000 career points, and Donovan Oday joined him during the game by crossing the same milestone against Charleston. Dozier struggled to make an impact early, but found ways to affect the game down the stretch with energy plays and defensive pressure. Oday carried the scoring load in NKU’s second-half push, scoring 16 after the break as the Norse tried to climb back into it.

NKU created extra possessions on the offensive glass, pulling down 14 offensive rebounds, but couldn’t consistently turn those chances into points. The Norse finished with just 10 second-chance points, though one came on an unforgettable Oday putback that stood out as the highlight of the night. Check it out below if you have not seen it. Brady Laber and I on the broadcast could not believe it when it happened...

Charleston’s size inside played a major role in limiting LJ Wells offensively. With two seven-footers on the roster, Wells struggled to find clean looks and finished just 2-5 from the field in only 21 minutes, with foul trouble further shrinking his role. It marked his fewest shot attempts in a Division I game since he went 0-2 against ETSU in the third game of the season. Between the whistles and the sheer size at the rim, Wells was pushed into a smaller offensive footprint than NKU is used to seeing.

On the other end, Jlynn Counter had an answer every time NKU threatened. No Norse defender was able to slow him down. Counter was incredibly efficient and served as Charleston’s closer, knocking down five field goals after the under-8 media timeout in the second half alone. After the game, Darrin Horn didn’t try to dress it up:

“He just went one-on-one, looked our guys in the eyes and said, ‘You can’t guard me,’ and went and scored the ball.”

After rewatching the final four minutes, the turning point came right after Donovan Oday’s ridiculous putback that cut the deficit to five with just over four minutes to play. Moments later, Oday finished a quick fast break that was ruled goaltending at the 3:47 mark. From that point on, NKU managed just three points the rest of the way, with a string of empty possessions that stalled the comeback.

Late-Game Offensive Sequence (Final ~4:00):

• Oday scores on a fast break that is ruled goaltending at 3:47
• Dan Gherezgher misses a decent one-on-one post-up look
• Tae Dozier misses a top-of-the-key three with 15 seconds on the shot clock
  • Not a bad look, but one he has struggled with this season, now 2-8 from that spot
• Gherezgher misses a driving finish on the left side, his preferred driving lane
• NKU forces a steal, but Oday travels after entering the paint with seven-footer Chol Machot looming
• Gherezgher misses a clean look from the top of the key for three
• Perimeter turnover leads to no points when Connor Hickman misses a wide-open dunk off the back rim
• Kael Robinson scores NKU’s final points, cutting it to 10 with 35 seconds left, but the game had been decided
• Gherezgher and Oday both miss perimeter threes on the same possession
• Gherezgher commits a turnover with the game clock nearly expired

In the end, NKU has to be more efficient late to close out tight games. That hasn’t happened in recent outings, including at Purdue Fort Wayne, at home against Oakland, and again against Charleston. To beat the top half of the teams in the Horizon League, the Norse need to play closer to a complete 40 minutes than they did on Sunday.

College of Charleston’s Key Players

Jlynn Counter: 33 MIN, 26 PTS, 9-13 FG, 1-3 3PT, 7-8 FT, 11 REB, 3 PF, 6 AST, 4 TO, 0 BLK, 3 STL
Connor Hickman: 31 MIN, 16 PTS, 7-13 FG, 2-6 3PT, 0-0 FT, 3 REB, 3 PF, 1 AST, 1 TO, 0 BLK, 2 STL
Jaxon Prunty: 22 MIN, 11 PTS, 3-4 FG, 2-2 3PT, 3-4 FT, 1 REB, 2 PF, 1 AST, 2 TO, 0 BLK, 0 STL
Chol Machot: 19 MIN, 9 PTS, 3-4 FG, 0-0 3PT, 3-5 FT, 5 REB, 3 PF, 1 AST, 3 TO, 1 BLK, 2 STL
Martin Kalu: 25 MIN, 5 PTS, 2-6 FG, 1-5 3PT, 0-0 FT, 1 REB, 2 PF, 0 AST, 1 TO, 0 BLK, 1 STL
Christian Reeves: 22 MIN, 11 PTS, 4-7 FG, 0-0 3PT, 3-4 FT, 10 REB, 2 PF, 0 AST, 0 TO, 2 BLK, 1 STL

Northern Kentucky’s Key Players

Kael Robinson: 32 MIN, 22 PTS, 6-16 FG, 5-10 3PT, 5-6 FT, 9 REB, 4 PF, 0 AST, 1 TO, 0 BLK, 1 STL
Dan Gherezgher: 36 MIN, 18 PTS, 5-15 FG, 3-10 3PT, 5-6 FT, 2 REB, 4 PF, 3 AST, 4 TO, 0 BLK, 2 STL
Donovan Oday: 29 MIN, 20 PTS, 9-19 FG, 0-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, 6 REB, 2 PF, 2 AST, 4 TO, 0 BLK, 2 STL
LJ Wells: 21 MIN, 7 PTS, 2-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, 6 REB, 4 PF, 2 AST, 1 TO, 0 BLK, 1 STL
Tae Dozier: 30 MIN, 4 PTS, 2-5 FG, 0-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, 4 REB, 1 PF, 0 AST, 2 TO, 0 BLK, 3 STL
Ethan Elliott: 17 MIN, 0 PTS, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 2 REB, 2 PF, 2 AST, 4 TO, 0 BLK, 2 STL

	Charleston	Northern Kentucky
Field Goals (FG)	29-53 (54.7%)	25-64 (39.1%)
Three-Point FG (3PT)	7-20 (35.0%)	10-33 (30.3%)
Free Throws (FT)	20-29 (69.0%)	14-16 (87.5%)
Total Rebounds (Offensive)	34 (9)	33 (14)
Assists	17	10
Steals	13	12
Blocks	3	0
Turnovers	15	17
Points Off Turnovers	22	17
Fast Break Points	9	15
Points in the Paint	40	28
Personal Fouls	17	19
Largest Lead	13	2

Up Next- @ Robert Morris December 29th | 7pm

NKU steps into a brief Christmas break before returning to action more than a week from now at Robert Morris on December 29. The Colonials sit at 2-1 in Horizon League play, with conference wins over Youngstown State and a late comeback win at Green Bay. It will be a road test coming out of the layoff and an early league measuring stick as NKU looks to reset and get back on track against the reigning Horizon League champions.

Follow all the action with Jim Kelch and Rick Broering on The Project 100.7/106.3 with pregame coverage starting at 6:30 pm on December 29th! You can also watch the game on ESPN+.