Norse Stay Hot: NKU Claims Fourth Straight Victory with 88-79 Win Over Youngstown State

In a competitive Horizon League showdown at Truist Arena, Northern Kentucky secured an 88-79 victory over Youngstown State. The Norse controlled much of the game with efficient shooting and dominant play in the paint, while Youngstown State relied on its perimeter attack to stay within striking distance. Despite a late push by the Penguins, NKU’s strong free-throw shooting and key defensive stops down the stretch helped them hold on for the win.

First Half:

• Early Exchange: The game started with a quick lead for NKU as Trey Robinson converted two free throws. Youngstown State responded with a three-pointer by Cris Carroll to take a brief lead.
• YSU Surge: A fastbreak layup by Ty Harper followed by a three-pointer from Juwan Maxey pushed Youngstown State ahead 12-6.
• NKU Regains Control: A series of fastbreak buckets and strong inside play by Keeyan Itejere and Trey Robinson helped NKU reclaim the lead at 18-17. The first half was all about Trey Robinson, who scored 14 points on a perfect 3-for-3 from the field while going 7-for-8 from the free-throw line.
• Perimeter Shooting: Josh Dilling’s back-to-back three-pointers turned a narrow deficit into a 26-25 NKU advantage.
• Momentum Shift: NKU went on a critical 15-3 run, capped by Robinson’s three-pointer, pushing the score to 40-28.
• Halftime Score: NKU 43, YSU 35.

Second Half:

• NKU Starts Strong: The Norse extended their lead early in the half, with Sam Vinson and Itejere capitalizing on quick possessions to push the lead to 53-38.
• YSU Fights Back: Maxey and Harper responded with key three-pointers to cut the deficit to 12.
• Turning Point: Dilling banked in a three as the shot clock expired, a pivotal moment that shifted the momentum in NKU’s favor.
• Late Push by YSU: Cris Carroll and Maxey hit clutch shots, bringing YSU within four points at 79-75 with under two minutes remaining.
• NKU Seals the Game: A dagger three-pointer by Dan Gherezgher, along with steady free-throw shooting from Vinson and Robinson, secured the win for the Norse.

Summary:

Youngstown State showed resilience without EJ Farmer, but Northern Kentucky’s composure in critical moments proved the difference. The Norse’s ability to score efficiently in the paint (34 points) and their 19-of-23 performance at the free-throw line were key factors. YSU’s perimeter shooting (14 made threes) kept them in the game, but NKU’s balanced attack and strong rebounding (32-24 advantage) secured the victory. As Coach Horn put it in the postgame radio interview, "This is the kind of win you want this time of year, right? You come really ready to play, you're clicking on all cylinders... This time of year, you got to make the plays that matter most on both ends when it counts, and our guys really did that."

Key Players

Youngstown State:

• Juwan Maxey – 35 MIN, 26 PTS, 8-17 FG, 5-10 3PT, 5-5 FT, 1 REB, 1 AST, 2 TO
• Ty Harper – 28 MIN, 21 PTS, 7-10 FG, 4-5 3PT, 3-5 FT, 3 REB, 5 AST, 2 TO
• Cris Carroll – 21 MIN, 14 PTS, 4-6 FG, 2-3 3PT, 4-4 FT, 2 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL
• Siem Uijtendaal – 21 MIN, 6 PTS, 2-5 FG, 2-3 3PT, 2 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL
• Nico Galette – 37 MIN, 4 PTS, 2-9 FG, 8 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL

Northern Kentucky:

• Trey Robinson – 31 MIN, 24 PTS, 6-9 FG, 1-1 3PT, 11-14 FT, 7 REB, 1 AST, 1 TO
• Josh Dilling – 37 MIN, 23 PTS, 7-16 FG, 7-14 3PT, 2-2 FT, 5 REB, 2 AST, 2 TO
• Sam Vinson – 30 MIN, 14 PTS, 4-7 FG, 6-6 FT, 3 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL
• Keeyan Itejere – 20 MIN, 12 PTS, 6-6 FG, 5 REB, 2 BLK
• Dan Gherezgher – 36 MIN, 9 PTS, 4-11 FG, 1-4 3PT, 4 REB, 2 AST, 2 TO

Team Comparison

Robinson and Dilling Shine Again

Trey Robinson and Josh Dilling have been the driving force behind the Norse offense during this hot stretch of basketball. NKU has now won 7 of its final 9 games of the season after enduring a 6-game losing streak in the middle of the season, which began with a 72-61 loss at Youngstown State. During the final 9 games, the Norse averaged 78.4 points per game after averaging just under 60 during that 6-game losing streak.

So how did NKU turn it around offensively? Well, Trey Robinson is averaging 17.1 PPG on 50.4% shooting and Josh Dilling is at 16 PPG on 44.3% three point shooting in the final nine games. These two have been a major reason for this NKU team doing a complete 180, along with Dan Gherezgher's dynamic scoring.

From the opening tip, YSU had no answers for Robinson. He was able to get to the free throw line early, with very little resistance. If Robinson wasn’t scoring easily in the post, he was getting fouled. Although Trey had struggled at the free-throw line this season (64.9%), he attempted and made a season-high 11 free throws on 14 attempts against YSU.

As YSU was attempting to make a comeback, Northern Kentucky was up six with just over three minutes to play and had a three on one fastbreak opportunity. Gherezgher missed the layup and NKU had to pull the ball out. This led to a possession where NKU burned clock. Vinson passed to an open Robinson, who turned down the three after mishandling the catch, then found Dilling with just three seconds left to get a shot off.

Dilling took one dribble to the right and shot-faked, causing Juwan Maxey to jump. This allowed Dilling to reset and toss up a one-handed heave just before the shot clock expired. The shot clock is going off in the picture below, that is how close he was to not getting the ball out in time. Maxey avoided fouling, but Dilling somehow banked it in, completely shifting the momentum back to the Norse and halting the Penguins' comeback attempt. As Coach Horn put it, "We got really fortunate on that one... he just stepped up and slung one in."

Tournament Time

Despite beating Youngstown State, Northern Kentucky remains the No. 7 seed, as Oakland overcame a 14-point deficit with eight minutes left against Green Bay and won in overtime. This all means that Detroit Mercy will come into town on Tuesday, March 4th, at 7 pm. Both teams won their home games, with NKU winning 73-60 in mid-December and Detroit Mercy avenging that loss with a 68-57 victory in late January. I will provide a full, in-depth breakdown of Detroit Mercy before Tuesday’s game.