HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Junior guard Mitch Perdrix came off the bench and made three three-pointers in the second half Friday night as Northern Kentucky University rallied to defeat Thomas More College 73-63 at Regents Hall in the first round of the John L. Griffin - Lions Club Classic.
Perdrix, a graduate of Roger Bacon High School who finished with 13 points, made the trio of three-pointers after Thomas More had taken a 43-37 lead early in the second half. Perdrix's shooting sparked a 20-9 NKU run that gave the Norse a 57-52 lead.
NKU improved to 2-0 and will face Central State 7:45 tonight in the tournament championship. Central State beat American International College 65-59 in the other first-round game Friday.
THOMAS MORE (63) - Mann 3-8 2-2 8, Kirch 5-9 0-0 10, Tillman 3-3 1-2 7, Martin 4-12 3-5 12, Green 3-9 1-2 7, Gergen 6-10 1-2 17, McClain 0-2 0-0 0, Kiger 1-1 0-2 2. Totals: 25-54 8-15 63.
NKU (73) - Lawhon 3-5 0-0 9, Sanders 5-15 0-0 12, Vieth 1-4 1-2 3, Conley 2-4 9-12 13, Schaefer 0-2 3-4 3, Seiter 1-3 0-0 2, Perdrix 4-5 2-2 13, Nixon 6-15 1-3 14, Beckett 2-5 0-0 4. Totals: 24-58 16-23 73.
Halftime: TM 31-30. Three-point goals: TM (5-15) Mann 0-2, Green 0-2, Gergen 4-6, McClain 0-1, Martin 1-4. NKU (9-25) Lawhon 3-4, Sanders 2-10, Conley 0-2, Schaefer 0-1, Seiter 0-2, Perdrix 3-4, Nixon 1-2. Records: NKU 2-0, TM 0-1.
