GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — The Green Bay men’s basketball team Saturday defeated Northern Kentucky 86-70 in the Norse’s first-ever Horizon League game.

NKU senior Jalen Billups achieved one career milestone while moving within reach of a second.

Billups had 6 rebounds, allowing him to surpass the 500-rebound mark for his career. His 18 points, which led NKU, moved him within 11 points of the 1,000-point plateau.

The Norse led early in the first half. Billups hit a jumper in the lane to give the Norse a 25-20 lead with 9:42 left in the first half.

Green Bay would surge to the lead with a 17-2 run over the next 6:48. The Phoenix led 37-27 with 2:54 left in the half. The margin at the half was also 10 points, 43-33.

The game was put out of reach in the early minutes of the second half when Green Bay scored the first seven points after the break. Green Bay led 50-33 with 18:18 remaining.

NKU got as close as 13 the rest of the way, but couldn’t get the deficit down to single digits.

In addition to Billups’ performance, Lavone Holland II had 17 points. Drew McDonald had a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Charles Cooper led four Phoenix in double figures with 19 points. Carrington Love added 18 points.

NKU will wrap up a three-game road trip 8 p.m. Monday in Milwaukee. The Horizon League home opener for the Norse is 1 p.m. Saturday at BB&T Arena against Wright State.

Summary

Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016

@ Resch Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Green Bay 86, Northern Kentucky 70

N – 33 – 37 — 70
G – 43 – 43 — 86

(70) NORTHERN KENTUCKY (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Garnett 1-1-0-3, Billups 8-0-2-18, White 2-0-2-6, Murray 4-0-1-9, Holland II 5-3-4-17, Gillis 1-0-3-5, McDonald 4-0-4-12. TOTALS 25-4-16-70.

(86) GREEN BAY (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Lowe 1-0-0-2, Small 6-1-1-14, Fouse 3-2-4-12, Love 7-1-3-18, Cooper 9-0-1-19, Kanter 0-0-2-2, Botz 3-2-0-8, Hurdle 1-0-0-2, Findlay 3-1-2-9. TOTALS 33-7-13-86.

FIELD GOALS: N 25/61 (Billups 8/11, Holland 5/14, McDonald 4/7, Murray 4/7); G 33/70 (Cooper 9/14, Love 7/17, Small 6/10)

3 POINT FIELD GOALS: N 4/18 (Holland 3/6); G 7/18 (Fouse 2/5, Botz 2/5)

FREE THROWS: N 16/23 (McDonald 4/4, Holland 4/7, Gillis 3/4); G 13/18 (Fouse 4/7, Love 3/3)

REBOUNDS: N 43 (McDonald 13, Garnett 6, Billups 6, Gillis 5); G 37 (Fouse 6, Botz 5, Findlay 5)

ASSISTS: N 12 (White 4, Holland 3); G 17 (Love 7, Fouse 4)

STEALS: N 5 (Garnett 3); G 9 (Fouse 3, Love 3)

BLOCKED SHOTS: N 3; G 6 (Lowe 2, Cooper 2)

TURNOVERS: N 18; G 11