The NKU men’s basketball team made a promising statement in their exhibition match, winning against Mount Saint Joseph 85-31.
The starting five for this first match-up included three familiar faces: senior Trey Robinson, senior Marques Warrick and junior Sam Vinson. Two new faces in the starting lineup were graduate transfer Michael Bradley and sophomore Keeyan Itejere.
There was a slow start in the scoreboard in the first half, with the first timeout having the Lions in the lead 5-2, though 15 minutes remained in the half. The final score of the first half had NKU leading 39-19.
NKU has promising players like Cade Meyer who is a transfer from a familiar Horizon League team, the Green Bay Phoenix. Sophomore LJ Wells made his mark in this match-up after a successful freshman season bringing a competitive drive to the court. Freshman Fiston Ipassou played his first time in Truist, making a name for himself by impressing the crowd with multiple 3-pointers.
Mount Saint Joseph has one player who is close to home playing at Truist Arena, Willard Cluxton. A senior for the Lions, his parents both graduated from NKU, playing on the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Willard also has a sister on the NKU women’s volleyball team, junior Lucy Cluxton.
With the exhibition match a fun start for an exciting season with the Norse, each member of the basketball team got minutes on the court. After Wednesday night’s 85-31 win, Norse fans saw great things from the reigning Horizon League champions, as they not only had returning starters but also brought in new competitive faces.