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PROVO, Utah (AP) -- Keena Young scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds as BYU beat Division II Northern Kentucky 65-46 on Saturday night.
It was the Cougars' third straight victory at home since a season-opening loss to Loyola Marymount. BYU (5-2) has also won five of its last six.
Derek Dawes added 10 points for the Cougars, who shot 55 percent (27-of-49), including 65 percent (15-of-23) in the first half.
BYU's Trent Plaisted, the Cougars' leading scorer entering the game with a 15.8 points per game average, was held to eight points.
The Cougars took control early on, storming out to a 22-5 lead in the first 11:48. BYU made 10 of its first 14 shots, including two-for-three from beyond the arc.
Northern Kentucky (6-1) fought back, however, going on a 14-2 run fueled by the strong play of center Gavin Ludgood (eight points in the first half). In the middle of the run, the Norse hit a pair of 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions.
Ludgood finished the night with a game-high 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
But the Cougars' Young came off the bench to provide a spark for BYU, punching in eight points in the first half as the Cougars extended their lead to 12 at the break.
BYU never let the Norse seriously challenge in the second half, maintaining a double-digit lead.
The Cougars also scored 28 points off of 19 Northern Kentucky turnovers.
The Norse struggled from the field to start both halves. In the first half, their first basket didn't come until the 14:19 mark. In the second, they went nearly eight minutes without a bucket, allowing BYU to build a 20-point lead at one point.
The game was Northern Kentucky's first against a Division I opponent during the regular season in 11 years.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
