Northern Kentucky Sports Chronicle

(This column was originally published on March 21, 2020) National television beckoned for the first time in school history. An NCAA championship would be at stake in less than 48 hours. It was March 21, 1996, and Northern Kentucky had just knocked off powerful Virginia Union in the NCAA Division II Final Four. NKU head coach Ken Shields was wrapping up a surreal evening at the Commonwealth Convention Center in Louisville with a final one-on-one interview with a newspaper reporter. The makeshift basketball site had just provided one of the classic games in Division II history, as LaRon Moore hit a 12-foot turnaround jumper in the closing seconds to give NKU a 68-66 win over Virginia Union. The NKU players — Moore, Andre McClendon and Paul Cluxton — had already done their mandatory interviews at the NCAA postgame press conference. The media, though, wanted plenty of one-on-one interviews with Shields. So did some officials from CBS, which would be televising NKU’s national championship g...

NKU’s Paul Cluxton, LaRon Moore, Andre McClendon and Ken Shields after defeating Virginia Union. ---------------- (This story was originally published in The Kentucky Post on March 22, 1996) By Tom Gamble Kentucky Post sports editor LOUISVILLE — After spending more than three decades on the sideline and winning almost 600 career games, Northern Kentucky University basketball coach Ken Shields can sense when a team has what it takes to win. And Shields has that feeling. One night after sophomore guard Andy Listerman scored a career-high 19 points, including the game-winning layup with 2.8 seconds left to give NKU a 56-55 win over Cal State Bakersfield, the Norse found another way to win. Thursday, it was junior forward LaRon Moore who came up with the big shot — a turnaround jumper with just 3.2 seconds remaining (pictured on right) — that enabled NKU to beat Virginia Union, 68-66, in an NCAA Division II semifinal game before a crowd of 2,596 at the Commonwealth Convention Center. As a ...

(This story was originally published on March 10, 1997) By Tom Gamble Kentucky Post sports editor INDIANAPOLIS — Every time the Northern Kentucky University basketball team steps onto the Regents Hall court for practice, the Norse are reminded of their six preseason goals. But, when NKU players check the list posted inside their locker room today, they’ll find only one goal remains unaccomplished — a goal that has been their only real objective since last March. “Winning a national championship is what we're really out to accomplish,” said senior forward LaRon Moore. “If we don't do it now, we won't have another chance. We’re this far, so (there’s) no reason to lose now.” Moore made sure the Norse didn’t lose Saturday, scoring 20 of his career-high 35 points in the second half to help No. 2 seed NKU defeat Oakland (Mich.), 101-87, in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional final before 1,550 at Nicoson Hall. A 6-foot-6, 190-pound Lexington native, Moore scored 17 of NKU...

NKU celebrates the 2000 NCAA Division II national title. (Photo by Jeff McCurry) (Don Owen column from Sept. 16, 2020) F or those who aren’t aware, Northern Kentucky University is celebrating its 50th anniversary of intercollegiate athletics during the 2020-21 academic year. NKU’s fall sports have been sidelined by the pandemic, but there is guarded optimism that basketball season will proceed in November or December. In the meantime, the 50th anniversary of NKU sports is an excellent diversion from all the current negativism surrounding the planet. It’s also a chance to celebrate the numerous outstanding achievements that have taken place in Highland Heights since 1971. And there have been plenty. So many, in fact, it’s difficult to place them in order of significance. But I tried about 3 ½ years ago. I received a pair of calls in early 2017 regarding the 50th anniversary of NKU, which was founded in 1968. A committee had been formed to put together a list of the 50 top accomplishmen...