Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
2-0
Eastern Washington
1-1
Northwestern Opens Legends Classic With Win Over EWU
11/14/2016 9:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Five Wildcats scored in double-figures as Northwestern won the first game of the Legends Classic 86-72 against Eastern Washington at Welsh-Ryan Arena Monday night.
Vic Law led the way with a new career-high 26 points, topping his previous high of 18 set last Friday. He has started the year strong, after missing last season due to injury. Bryant McIntosh added 18 points and 7 assists. Dererk Pardon took charge down low, with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and a career-high 5 blocks. Isiah Brown was a huge lift off the bench, adding 11 points in 19 minutes.
The Wildcats were the first to attack, opening the game on a 24-9 run, ignited by Sanjay Lumpkin's three-pointer on Northwestern's first possession. In the midst of the spurt, Law went on a 7-0 run of his own, hitting a floater, three-pointer, and two free throws in the process. He led Northwestern with 14 points in the first half.
The first half contained a big run by each team, however, as Eastern Washington responded strongly, going on a 15-8 run of their own. The Eagles were ignited by junior Bogdan Bliznyuk, who led all scorers with 20 first-half points.
The 'Cats relied heavily on free throws to maintain their lead, making 12 of 13 in the half. They took advantage of the bonus, getting there with over 10 minutes left. Scottie Lindsey put in a wide-open layup off a feed from McIntosh just before the buzzer putting Northwestern's halftime lead at 46-38.
Neither team was able to gain much ground for most of the second half. The 'Cats again relied on strong free-throw shooting, sinking 11 of 13 and finishing 23 of 26 for the game. Chicago's Big Ten Team also took advantage of Eastern Washington's mistakes, forcing 14 turnovers, while only committing 5 of their own.
The Wildcats benefited from their ability to contain Bliznyuk in the second half, holding him to just five points, after he anchored the Eagle's offense early on. With the Eagles' best player stagnant, and the Wildcats working together as a team, Eastern Washington could never gain enough momentum to close the gap.
While the teams traded baskets for a while in the second half, Pardon put on a show. After establishing position and getting fed the ball, he made his move and threw down a dunk. Two possessions later he followed it with a layup, before charging back to defense and swatting an Eastern Washington shot out of bounds. He put down one last exclamatory dunk with less than a minute left, before McIntosh added a jumper, capping off the win.
The Legends Classic resumes when the 'Cats take on Texas on Nov. 21 in Brooklyn, New York.
Next up, though, the Wildcats hit the road for the first time to take on Butler at 6 p.m. Central time Wednesday in Indianapolis. Northwestern returns to Welsh-Ryan Arena Nov. 25 when it faces Bryant. BUY TICKETS HERE!
Northwestern Notes vs. Eastern Washington
Nov. 14, 2016
• This was the first meeting between Northwestern and Eastern Washington.
• Northwestern is now 4-0 all-time against members of the Big Sky Conference.
• Monday's game was a regional round contest in the Legends Classic. Northwestern will play two championship round games in Brooklyn next Monday, Nov. 21 and Tuesday, Nov. 22 as well as another home regional game against Bryant on Friday, Nov. 25.
• After scoring a career-high 18 points in last Friday's season-opener against Mississippi Valley State, Vic Law surpassed the mark 84 seconds into the second half. Law finished with a game-high 26 points.
• Dererk Pardon recorded a career-high 5 blocked shots. His previous best was 2 against Ohio State on Jan. 6, 2016.
• Northwestern dished out 17 assists with only 5 turnovers in the contest. The turnover total is the lowest by NU in a game since posting a season-low 4 against Penn State on Jan. 16, 2016.
• Scottie Lindsey dished out 6 assists in the contest, one shy of his career high of 7 recorded against Missouri on Nov. 24, 2015.
• Northwestern connected on 23 of 26 free throws Monday. The .885 free throw percentage is the Wildcats' best since shooting .895 (17-19) against Michigan State Jan. 28, 2016.
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