HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (Interstat) — CJ O’Hara scored 23 points and the Green Bay Phoenix outlasted the Northern Kentucky Norse 87-84 in overtime Wednesday night in a Horizon League men’s basketball game at BB&T Arena. Donovan Oday led all scorers with 28 points for Northern Kentucky, which forced overtime by erasing a second-half deficit. The Norse led 72-68 late in regulation before Green Bay closed with a 4-0 run, capped by Marcus Hall’s tying 3-pointer with 8 seconds left. In overtime, Green Bay scored the first six points and held on despite Oday’s 12 points in the extra period. The Phoenix overcame 16 turnovers by shooting 50% from the field and scoring 44 points in the paint. Both teams are now 13-11 overall.

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (Interstat) — In a Horizon League men’s basketball game defined by relentless momentum swings and a starring duel between two prolific guards, the Green Bay Phoenix outlasted the Northern Kentucky Norse 87-84 in overtime Wednesday night at BB&T Arena. The victory, secured before an announced crowd of 2,212, leveled both teams’ overall records at 13-11 and served as a measure of revenge for Green Bay, which had narrowly defeated Northern Kentucky by two points just over three weeks prior. The game’s pivotal sequence, and arguably its most important moment, arrived in the final seconds of regulation. Trailing 72-71 with under 30 seconds to play, Green Bay’s Justin Allen secured an offensive rebound off a missed three-pointer and converted a driving layup to put the Phoenix ahead by one. Northern Kentucky’s Donovan Oday was then fouled with 17 seconds left. He made the first free throw to tie the game but missed the second, giving Green Bay a final possession. The Phoenix ran the clock down, and Marcus Hall drilled a three-pointer from the wing with eight seconds remaining, seemingly providing the winning margin at 75-72. Northern Kentucky, however, had a final answer. After a timeout, the Norse executed a play that resulted in LJ Wells scoring a layup with 3.8 seconds left to cut the deficit to one. Green Bay’s C.J. O’Hara was immediately fouled on the inbound. He made the first free throw but missed the second, leaving the door open at 76-74. The Norse rebounded and called a quick timeout with 3.3 seconds left. On the ensuing inbounds play, Oday drove the length of the court and scored a contested layup as time expired, sending the game to overtime tied at 76. The overtime period was a microcosm of the entire contest—tightly contested and punctuated by key plays from both stars. Green Bay never trailed in the extra frame, building a small lead it would protect. With the Phoenix clinging to an 84-83 advantage, Caden Wilkins hit a crucial three-pointer from the corner off a Marcus Hall assist with 28 seconds left, pushing the lead to four. Northern Kentucky’s Ethan Elliott answered with a three of his own seven seconds later to cut it back to one. After Green Bay’s Preston Ruedinger made one of two free throws, Oday had a chance to tie or win the game at the line with 11 seconds left, but he missed the first of two attempts. He made the second to bring the score to 87-84. Northern Kentucky fouled Ruedinger, who missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the Norse one final possession with 3.3 seconds left. Their desperation three-point attempt was off the mark, sealing the Phoenix victory. The statistical story was one of contrasting efficiencies. Northern Kentucky, despite the loss, posted a superior offensive rating of 112.8 points per 100 possessions, compared to Green Bay’s 109.5. The Norse capitalized massively on Green Bay’s mistakes, scoring 21 points off 16 Phoenix turnovers, while committing only seven turnovers themselves. Northern Kentucky also dished out 12 assists to Green Bay’s five and recorded 12 steals and seven blocks, led by Tae Dozier’s four rejections. Green Bay countered by dominating inside, outscoring Northern Kentucky 44-34 in the paint, and by shooting a more efficient 50 percent from the field (31 of 62) compared to the Norse’s 44.6 percent (29 of 65). The Phoenix also won the battle at the free-throw line, making 16 of 22 attempts while Northern Kentucky went 14 for 22. The individual battle lived up to its billing. Northern Kentucky’s Donovan Oday, a guard from Arlington, Texas, delivered a heroic performance with 28 points and five assists in 40 minutes, including the dramatic game-tying layup to force overtime. He was supported by Tae Dozier of Louisville, Kentucky, who added 20 points, three assists and four blocks. For Green Bay, the backcourt duo of C.J. O’Hara of Minneapolis and Marcus Hall of Schofield, Wisconsin, provided the necessary firepower. O’Hara led all Phoenix scorers with 23 points, while Hall filled the stat sheet with 15 points and five assists while playing 42 minutes. Key contributions came from Caden Wilkins of Bettendorf, Iowa, who scored 11 points, including two critical three-pointers in overtime, and reserve Vukasin Todorovic of Ljubljana, Slovenia, who added nine points. The game defied the pregame projections, as National Statistical’s ELO system had given Northern Kentucky an 80.6 percent probability to win, and the Norse had been installed as 7.5-point favorites. The combined score of 171 also sailed over the over/under line of 151.5. Both teams continue Horizon League play on Saturday. Green Bay returns home to host Detroit, while Northern Kentucky remains at home to face Milwaukee.

HORIZON LEAGUE SHOWDOWN SET AS NORSE HOST PHOENIX HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (Interstat) — A pivotal Horizon League men’s basketball matchup awaits Wednesday as the Northern Kentucky Norse host the Green Bay Phoenix at BB&T Arena. Both teams enter with nearly identical records and seeking momentum. Green Bay (12-11, 7-5 Horizon) has dropped two straight, including an 83-75 home loss to Wright State on Sunday. Northern Kentucky (13-10, 6-6) has lost three consecutive games, most recently a 76-65 defeat at Oakland. The matchup is a quick rematch of a Jan. 11 thriller, which Green Bay won 80-78 at home. Phoenix guard CJ O’Hara, who scored eight points in that first meeting, has surged offensively since. He is coming off a 21-point performance against Wright State and has averaged 18.4 points over his last five games, establishing himself as Green Bay’s primary scoring threat. Northern Kentucky will counter with forward Tae Dozier, a consistent defensive presence. Dozier is averaging 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in league play. He posted 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in the loss to Oakland. His rim protection will be key against a Green Bay attack that features O’Hara and Marcus Hall, who added 18 points in the last outing. Green Bay’s recent struggles have been on the defensive end, allowing an average of 86 points in their two-game skid. Northern Kentucky’s offense has also sputtered during its losing streak, failing to reach 80 points in any of the three losses. The game carries weight in the tightly packed Horizon League standings. Green Bay currently sits in fourth place, while Northern Kentucky is tied for sixth. A win for the Phoenix would solidify their position and complete a season sweep. For the Norse, a victory is crucial to halt their slide and climb back into the upper tier of the conference. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST Wednesday. Green Bay travels to Detroit on Saturday, while Northern Kentucky hosts Milwaukee.