Having led wire to wire, NKU quickly found their lead trimmed to five early in the second half.
Senior LJ Wells–who has posted nine-straight games in double figures–recognized the Masotdon’s push and took control.
After a rebound by graduate student Kael Robinson, Wells pushed the pace and stretched the floor in transition, finishing a tough layup to extend the lead back to seven.
He followed it up by knocking down a three on the very next possession that sparked a decisive 12-3 run that put the game far out of reach.
Wells finished with 29 points, which was his third 20+ point performance of the season.
NKU hosted Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 18 and looked to continue their winning streak. With only four games remaining in the regular season, head coach Darrin Horn had his guys ready to finish the season strong.
In the first half, Purdue Fort Wayne shot 46% from the field and connected on seven threes, led by Corey Hadnot II, who knocked down three from beyond the arc.
While the Mastodons were shooting efficiently, the Norse matched them, shooting 50% from the field and making six threes of their own.
NKU’s tough and physical defense forced Purdue Fort Wayne into passes in traffic, resulting in 11 first-half turnovers. The Norse went into halftime up 42-33, with all five starters recording two or more made field goals.
Robinson also contributed eight points off the bench, wasting no time getting back into rhythm after an injury that sidelined him for two weeks.
The second half was all NKU, who continued shooting efficiently from the floor. Both teams cooled off from beyond the arc, combining for just seven made three-pointers after halftime.
The return of Robinson proved to be pivotal, as the Norse dominated the glass, securing 11 offensive rebounds and 37 rebounds overall. Senior Tae Dozier pulled down a season-high 15 rebounds and was a major presence in the paint.
Wells, however, stole the show, scoring 23 of his 29 points in the second half while also dishing out five assists.
NKU cruised to an 87-71 win and now turn their attention to a tough road stretch against Youngstown State and Wright State, who currently sit atop the Horizon League standings.
With the Norse potentially just 1.5 games out of second place in the league, finishing the regular season strong will be crucial heading into the Horizon League tournament.