Tate, McDonald help Northern Kentucky roll to 77-50 win
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (AP) — Jalen Tate scored 16 points with five assists and a pair of steals, leading Northern Kentucky past UNC Asheville 77-50 on Friday night.
Drew McDonald added 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Norse (4-0), who outrebounded UNC Asheville 42-27. Dantez Walton added 10 points, eight boards and five assists for NKU, which had 25 assists on 27 made field goals. The Norse added 27 points at the foul line.
The game was an opener for NKU's four-team tournament featuring UNC Asheville, Coastal Carolina and Manhattan.
DeVon Baker scored 18 points to lead the Bulldogs and Tajion Jones added 12, going 4 for 4 from distance. UNC Asheville committed 27 turnovers that led to 32 Norse points. NKU also outscored the Bulldogs 44-18 in the paint and 20-3 on second-chance points.
Tate sank a pair of free throws for an early 11-2 lead and Dantez Walton hit from 3 to cap an 11-0 run as the Norse led 22-5 halfway through the opening period.
