MOSCOW, Idaho – A gritty performance down the stretch provided Northern Kentucky with a 79-74 victory at Idaho. Led by freshman guard Tayler Persons, NKU outscored Idaho, 11-6, over the final 2:15 of the game to pull out the win.
“That was an important road win for us tonight,” said head coach Dave Bezold. “Our guys showed a lot of composure after Idaho battled back to tie the game, and we made the necessary plays down the stretch to pull out the victory. I’m proud of the way we fought from the tip to the final buzzer.”
The win puts NKU back at .500 for the second time this season with a 3-3 record. Idaho falls to 2-3 on the year with its third-straight loss.
After NKU led by as many as 14 points early in the second half, Idaho slowly whittled away and eventually tied the game at 66. The two teams traded points before NKU took control.
A pair of Persons’ free throws and junior guard Tyler White’s lay-in surrounded an Idaho free throw and pushed NKU ahead, 72-69, with just under two minutes remaining.
Senior guard Chad Jackson followed with a steal and went the length of the court for a tough, contested lay-up, providing Northern Kentucky with a five-point cushion, 74-69.
Persons went 5-of-6 at the charity stripe over the final 30-seconds to seal the victory for Northern Kentucky.
Four Norse reached double-digits, paced by Persons’ career-high 23. Persons was efficient on the offensive end, shooting 7-of-9 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. He added two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Daniel Camps added 14 points for the second-straight game, while Cole Murray chipped in 11 first-half points and Jalen Billups scored 10.
Jackson narrowly missed double-figure scoring with nine on the evening. He led the Norse with a team-high six boards.
On the evening, NKU made 57.1 percent (29-of-49) of its field-goal attempts, while limiting Idaho to 42.9 percent (24-of-56).
An efficient effort on both ends of the floor gave NKU a 39-28 lead at the break. The Norse connected on 56 percent (14-of-26) of its shots, while limiting the Vandals to just 32.1 percent on 9-of-28 shooting.
Connor Hill had 22 points for the Vandals and Bira Seck posted a double-double with 12 points and game-high 14 boards.
NKU returns to Highland Heights, Kentucky, and The Bank of Kentucky Center for a three-game home stand that kicks off on Wednesday, Dec. 3, against UT Martin. The Norse will follow with games against West Virginia on Sunday, Dec. 7 and UC-Clermont on Sunday, Dec. 14.
