













By Don Owen

NKyTribune reporter

What’s at stake when Northern Kentucky University visits Wright State this Friday at 9 p.m. for a nationally televised Horizon League showdown? Here are some of the possibilities for both:

• A Wright State victory will allow the Raiders to tie NKU atop the Horizon League standings at 12-3. Going into Friday, the Norse are in sole possession of first place with a 12-2 record, while Wright State is 11-3. The Raiders are also looking to sweep NKU, which would elevate them over the Norse in a tiebreaker scenario for the top seed in the upcoming Horizon League Tournament.

• An NKU victory will give the Norse a two-game lead with just three remaining contests and just about lock up the regular-season crown. A Norse win could also clinch one of the top two seeds in the Horizon League Tournament if third-place Illinois-Chicago (10-4) were to lose Friday at Green Bay.

• The winner of Friday’s NKU/Wright State game will have the distinction of being the first Horizon League team to reach the 20-win mark this season. NKU is 19-7 overall, and Wright State is 19-8.

In other words, a great deal is riding on the outcome of this game inside the Nutter Center at Fairborn, Ohio.

In the first meeting, senior guard Grant Benzinger poured in 31 points as Wright State posted an 84-81 victory against NKU at BB&T Arena. Freshman center Loudon Love added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Raiders, who ended NKU’s home winning streak at 13 consecutive games.

Wright State shot 55.8 percent from the field, with Benzinger going 8-for-13. He also converted 11 free throws in 13 attempts and added seven rebounds.

Benzinger averages 14.5 points per game to lead a balanced Wright State attack, and he has drained 71 shots from 3-point range. Love averages 12.4 ppg and leads the Horizon League in rebounding at 9.9 boards per contest. The hulking 6-foot-9 freshman is also shooting 53.7 percent from the field.

Mark Hughes is scoring 10.0 ppg and has made 51 3-pointers, while Cole Gentry averages 9.7 points and is shooting 91.3 percent from the free-throw line. Jaylon Hall averages 9.6 points off the bench for the Raiders, and teammate Everett Winchester is scoring at a 7.4 clip as a reserve.

Wright State owns a 22-10 lead in the all-time series with NKU.

Lavone Holland II scored 22 points and dished out five assists for NKU in the first game against Wright State. Drew McDonald finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Norse, who shot 44.4 percent from the field but were just 8-for-26 from 3-point range. Holland buried four shots from beyond the arc, while Tyler Sharpe came off the bench and hit a pair of treys en route to scoring 10 points.

McDonald is No. 2 in the Horizon League in rebounding at 9.2 boards per game and No. 5 in scoring at 16.9 points per contest. He also has 13 double-doubles this season, the most in the Horizon League. The Newport Central Catholic graduate now has 29 double-doubles in his career and 11 in the past 16 games.

Sharpe is averaging 6.6 points per game and has made 41 shots from 3-point range in 89 attempts (.461). During NKU’s two wins last week, the sophomore guard averaged 15.5 points per game and drained eight 3-pointers. His 19 points against Green Bay also equaled his career-best scoring output, set earlier in the season at Milwaukee. Sharpe has also scored in double figures the past five games — all NKU wins.

Holland is No. 3 in the Horizon League in assists (4.6 apg) and averages 13.4 points per contest. The senior guard finished with 17 points and five rebounds last Saturday in the victory against Green Bay.

NKU is unbeaten (6-0) on the road in Horizon League play this season, while Wright State is 12-2 overall at home and 6-1 against Horizon League teams in the Nutter Center.

WHAT: Northern Kentucky (19-7, 12-2 HL) at Wright State (19-8, 11-3 HL)

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 16, 9 p.m.

WHERE: Fairborn, Ohio

ARENA: Nutter Center (10,400 capacity)

RADIO: ESPN 1530

TELEVISION: ESPNU

SERIES: Wright State leads, 22-10

NKU/GREEN BAY PHOTO GALLERY

HORIZON LEAGUE STANDINGS

Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport