In front of a standing of 2,581 fans in attendance at The Bank of Kentucky Center, the NKU Norse men’s basketball team cruised past the Stetson Hatters with a final score of 96-58.

Despite losing the last eight games, the Norse were able to move on and win, increasing the team’s overall record to 9-20, with a 5-12 conference record.

“I’m really happy for the kids to be rewarded after a tough, tough stretch, where they could have absolutely quit,” said NKU head coach Dave Bezold. “They showed a lot of character, and they know ‘hey we’ve got to keep plugging because this is momentum for next year.’”

After grabbing the tipoff at the beginning of the game, a layup from sophomore forward Jalen Billups led the Norse to an early lead.

The Hatters were able to keep the game within 10 points for the first five minutes of the half but ultimately were not able to keep up with the Norse. NKU extended the lead to 29 points with a score of 57-28 at the end of the first half.

The second half was a similar story, with the Norse increasing the lead to 42 points within the first 10 minutes, and eventually settling in to end the game with a point differential of 38.

Leading scorers for the Norse were freshman guard Cole Murray with 17 points, Billups and sophomore guard Tyler White with 14 points and junior guard Jordan Jackson with 13 points.

NKU’s last game of the season will be against the 2013 Atlantic Sun Conference champion, Florida Gulf Coast University, on March 1, at The Bank of Kentucky Center.