Northern Kentucky University Norse men’s basketball lost to Wright State in the Barbasol Horizon League Championship semifinals on Mar. 9, ending their run for a spot in the title game. The matchup took place at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana, where Wright State secured a double-digit victory with a final score of 103-90.
The result means Northern Kentucky finishes its season with a record of 20-14 overall and 10-10 in conference play, while Wright State advances with a 22-11 overall record and 15-5 in the Horizon League. The game was closely contested during the first half before Wright State pulled ahead midway through the second half.
Northern Kentucky shot 45.3 percent from the field and made nine three-pointers out of twenty-three attempts. They converted twenty-three out of thirty free throws but allowed Wright State to shoot nearly fifty-six percent from the field and over forty-two percent from beyond the arc. Turnovers were costly for Northern Kentucky, as they committed fifteen compared to ten by Wright State, leading to twenty-four points off turnovers for their opponent.
Despite losing, Northern Kentucky won the rebounding battle by grabbing thirty-six boards compared to thirty-one for Wright State, including fifteen offensive rebounds that resulted in twenty-five second-chance points. Kael Robinson led all Norse scorers with twenty-four points—nineteen coming in the first half—while LJ Wells added twenty-three points and six rebounds. Donovan Oday contributed fifteen points—all scored after halftime—along with four rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Dan Gherezgher finished with twelve points, four rebounds, and four assists.
The Norse’s season comes to an end following this semifinal loss. Fans can continue to follow updates about Northern Kentucky men’s basketball through their official social media channels.
