With first place on the line in the Horizon League, the Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team found itself in a double-digit hole at halftime and was unable to finish off a furious comeback in a 80-75 loss to Milwaukee.
The Norse (10-8, 5-2) dug themselves a 12-point halftime deficit, trailing 43-31 at the break.
Trevon Faulkner, who finished with a season-high 25 points helped get the Norse back in it during the second half, getting all the way within one after A’lahn Sumler’s 3-pointer made it 58-57 Panthers with 9:27 to play.
But Milwaukee (12-5, 6-1) responded with a 9-0 run over the next 2:54 to extend the lead back out to 10. The Norse were unable to get any closer than five the rest of the way.
The loss moves NKU into a three-way tie for second at 5-2 in conference play with Youngstown State and Oakland, a game behind Milwaukee.
Faulkner’s 25 puts him just four points shy of Paul Cluxton for 11th all-time in program history with 1,491 points. Marques Warrick added 16 points, moving him into 19th all-time in the program scoring record books with 1,272 points and just three points behind Dan Fleming for 18th all-time.
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Chris Brandon pulled down 18 rebounds to go with eight points, Sumler chipping in nine off the bench. Xavier Rhodes recorded seven assists and four steals with his seven points.
Thursday was the first loss of the season for NKU when they scored 70 or more points.
They return to action on Saturday at Green Bay at 7 p.m.
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