PHOTO GALLERY | BOX SCORE | SPAIN TRIP CENTRAL | COACH COLLINS POSTGAME INTERVIEW
SAN AGUSTIN DEL GUADALIX, Spain – Tre Demps scored 19 points, but the Northwestern men's basketball team suffered a narrow defeat in the first game of its exhibition tour in Spain, falling 84-82 to a team of Spanish All-Stars on Monday evening.
Â
Demps led four Wildcats in double figures with Vic Law and Alex Olah contributing 14 points apiece while freshman Aaron Falzon added 11.
Â
In the tightly contested contest, neither team held a lead larger than six points. The difference in the contest came at the free throw line where the All-Stars made 41 attempts compared to 16 for the Wildcats.
Â
NU got off to a good start as two baskets by Demps and 3-pointers from Law and Sanjay Lumpkin gave the 'Cats an early 10-5 lead. However, a 14-4 run by the All-Stars turned the five-point deficit into a five-point lead. Triples by Falzon and Scottie Lindsey as well as a deep buzzer-beater by Law got Northwestern within 24-23 after the first quarter.
Â
The All-Stars earned their largest lead of the game at 34-28, but a 3-pointer by Lumpkin started an 11-3 run that put Northwestern back up, 39-37. The squads eventually went into halftime tied at 44 with Demps leading the way with 11 points over the opening 20 minutes of play.
Â
The second half started off right for NU with Bryant McIntosh nailing a 3-pointer, helping the Wildcats take their largest advantage, 53-48. The All-Stars used their size and experience to hang around before back-to-back baskets for Northwestern by Falzon gave the 'Cats a 63-60 advantage after three quarters.
Â
Seven straight points by the opposition to start the final period put the Wildcats down by four, but consecutive 3-pointers by Law gave NU the lead back, 71-69.
Â
But again, the All-Stars battled back and a pair of free throws with 1:56 left found the Wildcats down 78-73. Still down by five with 30 seconds to go, NU was fouled shooting a 3-pointer but managed to convert only one of three from the charity stripe.
Â
The All-Stars split a pair of free throws on the other end preceded Olah making two from the stripe to make 83-80 with 18.7 seconds to go. Two misses from the line kept NU in it and Demps scored on a driving layup with 4.1 seconds left to make it a one-point game.
Â
Northwestern had one last chance as the All-Stars made one of two free throws with 2.7 seconds remaining, but a half-court heave by Demps was just off the mark.
Â
The Wildcats return to action at 1 p.m. Central time Tuesday when they face Eurocolegio Casvi in Madrid. For all of the latest information on the Wildcats throughout their tour of Spain, please visit NUsports.com/Spain.
Â
SAN AGUSTIN DEL GUADALIX, Spain – Tre Demps scored 19 points, but the Northwestern men's basketball team suffered a narrow defeat in the first game of its exhibition tour in Spain, falling 84-82 to a team of Spanish All-Stars on Monday evening.
Â
Demps led four Wildcats in double figures with Vic Law and Alex Olah contributing 14 points apiece while freshman Aaron Falzon added 11.
Â
In the tightly contested contest, neither team held a lead larger than six points. The difference in the contest came at the free throw line where the All-Stars made 41 attempts compared to 16 for the Wildcats.
Â
NU got off to a good start as two baskets by Demps and 3-pointers from Law and Sanjay Lumpkin gave the 'Cats an early 10-5 lead. However, a 14-4 run by the All-Stars turned the five-point deficit into a five-point lead. Triples by Falzon and Scottie Lindsey as well as a deep buzzer-beater by Law got Northwestern within 24-23 after the first quarter.
Â
The All-Stars earned their largest lead of the game at 34-28, but a 3-pointer by Lumpkin started an 11-3 run that put Northwestern back up, 39-37. The squads eventually went into halftime tied at 44 with Demps leading the way with 11 points over the opening 20 minutes of play.
Â
The second half started off right for NU with Bryant McIntosh nailing a 3-pointer, helping the Wildcats take their largest advantage, 53-48. The All-Stars used their size and experience to hang around before back-to-back baskets for Northwestern by Falzon gave the 'Cats a 63-60 advantage after three quarters.
Â
Seven straight points by the opposition to start the final period put the Wildcats down by four, but consecutive 3-pointers by Law gave NU the lead back, 71-69.
Â
But again, the All-Stars battled back and a pair of free throws with 1:56 left found the Wildcats down 78-73. Still down by five with 30 seconds to go, NU was fouled shooting a 3-pointer but managed to convert only one of three from the charity stripe.
Â
The All-Stars split a pair of free throws on the other end preceded Olah making two from the stripe to make 83-80 with 18.7 seconds to go. Two misses from the line kept NU in it and Demps scored on a driving layup with 4.1 seconds left to make it a one-point game.
Â
Northwestern had one last chance as the All-Stars made one of two free throws with 2.7 seconds remaining, but a half-court heave by Demps was just off the mark.
Â
The Wildcats return to action at 1 p.m. Central time Tuesday when they face Eurocolegio Casvi in Madrid. For all of the latest information on the Wildcats throughout their tour of Spain, please visit NUsports.com/Spain.
Â