OWENSBORO, Ky. — Lorico Duncan scored 20 points Saturday night as Kentucky Wesleyan defeated Northern Kentucky 59-57 in the championship game of the NCAA II Great Lakes Region Tournament.

        Craig Conley (LaSalle HS) scored 19 points to lead NKU, which finished the season with a 27-7 record. Craig Sanders added 14 points for the Norse, and Carl Mitchell scored 10 points and had 13 rebounds.

        Kentucky Wesleyan (28-3), ranked No.2 in the nation, built a 12-point lead midway through the second half, but No.14 NKU closed to within two points (55-53) on a Conley layup with 45 seconds left. Kentucky Wesleyan, though, held off the Norse and won its fourth straight NCAA II Great Lakes Region title.

        “We came up a possession or two short, but we had our chances to win,” NKU coach Ken Shields said. “It was a well-played tournament, and Kentucky Wesleyan just hung on at the end.”

        Sanders and Conley both were named to the Great Lakes Region All-Tournament Team. Duncan was named the most outstanding player of the Great Lakes Region Tournament.

        NKU has not beaten Kentucky Wesleyan in the Owensboro Sportscenter since Feb.11, 1988, when the Norse posted a 93-85 win over the Panthers.

        Since then, NKU has gone 0-15 against the Panthers in the Owensboro Sportscenter.

        NKU (27-7) — Clark 2-6 1-3 5, Sanders 5-13 0-0 14, Mitchell 4-12 2-2 10, Conley 4-9 9-10 19, Stowers 0-3 4-5 4, Lawhon 1-2 0-0 3, Norwell 1-1 0-2 2. Totals 17-46 16-22 57.

        KENTUCKY WESLEYAN (28-3) — Landry 4-7 2-3 10, Sanders 2-3 1-2 5, Thomas 1-4 2-6 4, Perry 1-1 0-0 2, Duncan 7-20 5-6 21, Bartolone 2-6 2-4 7, Key 1-2 0-0 2, Evans 2-10 4-4 9. Totals 20-53 16-25 59.

        Halftime score: Wesleyan 27, NKU 25. 3-point goals: NKU 7-20 (Sanders 4-9, Mitchell 0-2, Conley 2-5, Stowers 0-2, Lawhon 1-2), Wesleyan 3-14 (Landry 0-2, Duncan 1-4, Bartolone 1-5, Evans 1-3). Rebounds: NKU 31 (Mitchell 13), Wesleyan 41 (Duncan 9).

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