GREENSBORO, N.C. – Tied with 15:55 remaining, the NKU men’s basketball team lost Monday night to North Carolina A&T 74-63.

Sam Hunt led NC A&T with 32 points. Jalen Billups led NKU (1-4) with 20 points and 7 rebounds.

Billups kept the Norse in the game. He threw down a dunk with 8:47 remaining to pull NKU within four, 56-52. A layup with 5:55 remaining pulled NKU within 61-58.

The Norse would score just five points the rest of the way. 

NKU struggled from beyond the arc, making just 5 of 24 including only 1 of 13 in the second half.

In addition to Billups’ 20, Lavone Holland II added 13 points and 7 rebounds. Nine different Norse scored. 

NKU wraps up a three-game road trip 8 p.m. Saturday against Eastern Illinois. The Norse return home 7 p.m. Dec. 13 against Norfolk State.

Summary

@ North Carolina A&T

North Carolina A&T 74, Northern Kentucky 63

(63) NORTHERN KENTUCKY (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Garnett 2-1-0-5, Cole 2-1-0-5, Holland II 6-1-0-13, Murray 3-1-0-7, White 2-0-2-6, Gillis 1-1-0-3, Giesler 1-0-0-2, Billups 8-0-4-20, McDonald 1-0-0-2. TOTALS 26-5-6-63.

(74) NORTH CAROLINA A&T (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Lackey 3-0-0-6, Beckford 2-0-2-6, Singleton 3-1-2-9, Hunt 10-7-5-32, Abdullah 2-0-2-6, Egharevba 2-0-0-4, James 0-0-1-1, Burrough 3-0-4-10. TOTALS 25-8-16-74.

FIELD GOALS: N 26/60 (Billups 8/13, Holland 6/17, Murray 3/7); NC 25/53 (Hunt 10/16, Lackey 3/5, Singleton 3/6, Burrough 3/8)

3 POINT FIELD GOALS: N 5/24; NC 8/17 (Hunt 7/11)

FREE THROWS: N 6/13 (Billups 4/8); NC 16/24 (Hunt 5/6, Burrough 4/8)

REBOUNDS: N 33 (Holland 7, Billups 7); NC 37 (Burrough 7, Abdullah 5, Beckford 5)

ASSISTS: N 10 (White 3); NC 12 (Abdullah 8)

STEALS: N 7 (Holland 3); NC 5

BLOCKED SHOTS: N 3 (Billups 2); NC 4

TURNOVERS: N 13; NC 12