Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Buffalo
Men's Basketball Knocks Off Buffalo, 63-57
1/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan 26, 2002
AMHERST, N.Y. - Tavaras Hardy had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead Northwestern to a 63-57 victory over Buffalo in men's basketball action Saturday night.
Northwestern (11-7) went on a 10-3 run in the final three minutes to break a 53-53 tie. Free throws by Drew Long and Hardy sealed the win for the Wildcats.
Buffalo (9-10) had a 29-27 lead at halftime, but Northwestern started the second period on a 13-5 run. The Wildcats shot 61 percent from the field in the second half and 20-of-40 for the game.
Louis Campbell, the only Bull in double figures, scored a game-high 26 points going 8-of-19 from the floor and 6-of-12 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Campbell single-handedly kept Buffalo in the game Saturday, scoring 20 of his team's 28 second-half points. His trey with 4:24 left in the game tied it at 52-52, and then he matched Winston Blake's foul shot to make it 53-53 with three minutes to play.
However, Jitim Young -- who had gone without a field goal the entire game -- came off a screen and nailed a three-point basket from the top of the key to give NU a lead it would not relinquish.
The Wildcats sealed the win by forcing the Bulls into a turnover when they could not get a shot off before the shot clock expired. Northwestern then methodically worked the clock at its end before Jason Burke buried a jumper with just four ticks left.
Buffalo had two chances to tie it late. The Bulls stole an inbounds pass down 58-56, but Gabe Cagwin missed the ensuing jump shot and Long was fouled on the rebound. He hit one of two, and then Cagwin missed a trey that could have tied it again. This time Hardy got the board, and he was fouled with 46 seconds left in the game. He hit one of two foul shots for a 60-56 Northwestern lead, and the Bulls could not make up the difference.
Aaron Jennings scored 12 points for Northwestern and nailed a pair of three-pointers, giving him 27 points and five treys in the last two games. Blake added 11 points.
Northwestern closes the season with 10 straight Big Ten games, beginning this Wednesday when they host Wisconsin at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Portions of this story were taken from the Associated Press account.
