A game-winning three-point shot from Marques Warrick led the NKU Norse to take down Youngstown State Thursday night. This is the first game at home since the injury of junior Sam Vinson. With a tough loss against Horizon League’s Purdue Fort Wayne, Norse fans filled Truist Arena, anxious to see the start of this matchup.
The Youngstown State Penguins traveled to Highland Heights with former NKU basketball players, fifth year Bryson Langdon and sophomore Imanuel Zorgvol. With Vinson out with an injury, NKU freshman Jeramiah Israel saw his first start of his career. The starting lineup for the game included seniors Trey Robinson and Marques Warrick, graduate transfer Michael Bradley, sophomore Keeyan Itejere and Israel.
This first half favored the Penguins as they carried the lead throughout the entire half. While the penguins kept the lead, Warrick managed to score 15 points for the norse. Following Warrick was Itejere and Israel both with 7 points and Bradley with 4 assists.
Warrick mentioned the first half stating, “We didn’t come out the way we wanted to guard and the way we played all week at practice. But we turned it around and we fixed our mistakes.”
“I didn’t think we came out nearly as impressive as we needed to. Keep in mind, we are still learning how to play without Sam Vinson, and it’s going to be a process,” Head Coach Darrin Horn said about the first half.
Horn emphasized the team’s self-motivation going into the second half, giving credit to the players on their own. Horn mentioned all he needed to say during half time was that they needed to respond. The final score of the first half was YSU 45, NKU 36.
The Norse looked like a different team in the second half with key players stepping up and playing more aggressively. Itejere nearly finished the night with a double-double, making impressive dunks, nine crucial rebounds, 19 points and important blocks. “I feel like a lot of my teammates are counting on me. I have a lot of expectations and the guards are trusting me with the ball.” Itejere said. He also mentioned his vertical and dunks, explaining that it’s just what he is expected to do for his team.
Warrick ended his night with 29 points. This season NKU fans are seeing an aggressiveness from Warrick going in for rebounds and making smart assists.
Sophomore LJ Wells was another player for the Norse that made an extreme impact on the game during the second half. With 12 points and multiple hustle plays putting him to the ground, the sophomore brought an impressive energy to the court. Bradley stepped up during this game, playing 38 minutes and contributing 11 assists for the team.
The final score against the penguins was NKU 79, YSU 76.
The next game for the Norse is on the road against Cleveland State on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 4 p.m.