CARSON WILLIAMS SCORED 17 POINTS, LAVONE HOLLAND ADDED 16, AND FOURTH-SEEDED NORTHERN KENTUCKY BEAT WRIGHT STATE 76-68 ON SUNDAY NIGHT IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT.
THE NORSE (22-10) WILL FACE NINTH-SEEDED YOUNGSTOWN STATE (13-20) IN MONDAY'S SEMIFINALS.
THE FIFTH-SEEDED RAIDERS TWICE LED EARLY IN THE SECOND HALF AND GRANT BENZINGER TIED IT AT 44 WITH A 3-POINTER WITH 11:13 LEFT. WILLIAMS' LAYUP CAPPED A 9-3 RUN AND THE NORSE TOOK A 53-47 LEAD, THEN PULLED AWAY TO AN 11-POINT LEAD ON DREW MCDONALD'S FREE THROW WITH 1:54 TO GO.
AFTER FOUR TIES, NORTHERN KENTUCKY LED 26-23 ON MCDONALD'S 3-POINTER AND 29-25 ON HOLLAND'S 3 WITH 1:37 LEFT TO PLAY IN THE FIRST HALF. JUSTIN MITCHELL HIT A JUMPER AND WRIGHT STATE TRAILED 29-27 AT HALFTIME AFTER EACH TEAM SHOT 36 PERCENT FROM THE FIELD.
BENZINGER HIT SEVEN 3-POINTERS AND SCORED 29 POINTS, MARK ALSTORK ADDED 22, AND MITCHELL HAD 12 WITH 12 BOARDS AND SEVEN ASSISTS FOR WRIGHT STATE (20-12).