Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Arizona State
Men's Basketball Falls to Arizona State, 77-60
12/29/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2001
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Chad Prewitt scored 22 points, including six during a key second-half run, as Arizona State beat Northwestern 77-60 Saturday night to win the Sun Devils' azcentral.com Hoops Classic.
It was the 26th time in 35 tries the Sun Devils (7-4) have won the title in their own tournament, and the 10th time in the past 13 years.
Prewitt had 15 of his points in the second half and was named the tourney's MVP. For Northwestern, Tavaras Hardy (Joliet, Ill./Providence) and Winston Blake (Plano, Texas/Senior) were named to the all-tournament team.
The teams were even through a majority of the first half, before Arizona State's in-your-face defense ultimately proved the difference. Down 24-22 with five minutes left in the first stanza, the Sun Devils forced eight NU turnovers before halftime and used that to score 15 of the half's final 17 points. That allowed them to go into the locker room with a 37-26 lead.
Arizona State then opened the second half with a 17-4 run to pull away from the Wildcats (8-3). Northwestern made things interesting on occasion, drawing within 11 points on a pair of occasions but getting no closer.
Curtis Millage added a season-high 19 for the Sun Devils. Blake led Northwestern with 17 points, while Hardy had 15 and Jitim Young 12.
Earlier Saturday, Louisiana-Lafayette beat Canisius 73-70 in the consolation game.
Northwestern will jump right into Big Ten play this week, hosting Indiana Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tickets are still available for the contest, which will tip off at 8 p.m. CST.
