NKU men’s basketball team took the lead late to win 65-55 over the Milwaukee Panthers. NKU’s record improves to 22-8 overall and 12-5 in the conference, while the Panthers fall to 9-21 on the season and 4-13 in the Horizon League.

The Norse had four players score in double digits on the night. Redshirt sophomore guard Jalen Tate led the Norse with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Sophomore center Chris Vogt added 16 points, junior forward Dantez Walton contributed 13 points and 4 assists. Junior guard Tyler Sharpe rounded out the Norse scoring in double digits with 10 on the night.

The Norse started the first half of the game strong, but fell once Milwaukee went on an 11-0 run. Milwaukee went into halftime ahead 34-28. The Norse shot 38 percent from the field, while the Panthers shot 40 percent. The Norse held the Panthers to 3-of-13 from behind the arc for the half.

After halftime, the Norse took off on a 12-0 run to take the lead 46-41. Vogt gained 12 of his 16 points during the half. The Norse shot much better during the with 58.6 percent from the field and held Milwaukee to 37.5 percent. NKU went on a 9-0 run with 3:14 left in the game. NKU takes the game 65-55.

The Norse out-rebounded the Panthers by a narrow margin of one, 31-30. For the game the Norse scored 42 points within the paint, opposed to Milwaukee’s 20 points in the paint. Milwaukee’s bench added 22 points while the Norse bench added three points.

The win puts NKU back in first place, tied with Wright State. NKU will finish out the regular season facing Green Bay at Resch Center. The game is set for Saturday, March 2 at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+.