#HLMBB THREE STARS OF THE DAY - TUESDAY, MARCH 10
By Zo Tyson
Sports Capital Journalism Program, IUPUI
INDIANAPOLIS – No. 2 seed Northern Kentucky won its second straight Horizon League tournament championship and the third title in four years by beating No. 4 UIC, 71-62. Northern Kentucky found ways to create open shots while many UIC shots were contested. NKU made 50% of its field goal attempts, while UIC shot 43.6% overall and 28.6 from 3-point range. The difference maker was the defense on both ends of the court. NKU had 11 steals and UIC had six, a difference that helped NKU keep the lead for 36:11.
Here are the three stars from the championship game:
Jalen Tate, Northern Kentucky: The redshirt junior guard was voted Most Valuable Player of the men’s tournament. Tate scored all 14 points in the first half and was able to find other players to help create a gap between NKU and UIC. He was limited to 12:14 of playing time in the second half because of foul trouble and fouled out 3:13 to play. By then the Norse had taken a 16-point lead. In the first half, Tate made six of nine shots with three rebounds and three assists to help NKU go ahead by 10.
Tyler Sharpe, Northern Kentucky: The senior guard helped NKU in the first half with his defense. Sharpe seemed to be everywhere on the floor in the first half, trying to create shots for himself and teammates. His first 3-point shot, 2:43 into the game, came on an assist from Jalen Tate. Sharpe played 37:55, more than any NKU player, and contributed 5-of-12 shooting, three assists and two steals.
Tarkus Ferguson, UIC: The senior guard was a key player for UIC, scoring 10 of his 15 points in the second half. Playing 40 minutes was not enough to beat NKU. Ferguson led the team with five rebounds in the first half, giving UIC the chance to push in transition, but the Flames came up short on shots that were often contested. His strong defense was helped by good communication. He made four of 10 shots, plus five of six from the foul line, with a total of seven rebounds. Ferguson’s ability to stay on the floor was impressive, but he needed others to step up.