HGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. -- IA game effort by the Miners fell short Thursday night as Northern Kentucky held off UMR 81-73 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.

The Miners and Norse went toe-to-toe throughout the first half with the lead changing hands 12 times in the first 20 minutes. UMR had as much as a five-point lead on two occasions, the last at 21-16 when Marquis Jones hit two free throws at the 7:06 mark.

NKU rallied and turned the game into a seesaw battle for the rest of the half, but UMR got the final points of the period on a jumper by Justin Taylor and led 35-34 at the intermission.

Casey Noll’s basket 17 seconds into the second half gave UMR a 37-34 lead and the Miners still led 40-38 at the 16:55 mark after Noll made the first of two free throws. However, the Norse made a 15-5 run to take a 53-45 lead with 11:16 remaining.

UMR scored eight of the next 10 points – five of them by Joe Shardo – to trim the NKU lead to four at 55-51. But after Yamani Ball’s basket got the Miners to within four, Kevin Schappell converted a four-point play on the Norse’s next trip down the floor to double the lead.

The Miners were able to get the margin down to four in the final minute as Shardo connected on three shots from long range in that time, but the Norse made 12 of their final 14 free throws to hold off UMR.

Shardo, who made 10-of-12 from the field and five-of-seven from three-point land, led the Miners with a career-high 25 points. UMR also got 17 points from Ball and 10 from Taylor as it dropped to 6-8 overall and 1-6 in GLVC play.

The Miners will play at Bellarmine, a 73-53 winner over Missouri-St. Louis, Saturday at 2:15 p.m. (Central time).