Northwestern Runs Away with 86-66 Win Over Bryant

11/25/2016 2:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Highlights Postgame Press Conference

Wildcats match a school record with 12 blocked shots

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern opened a five-game homestand by topping Bryant, 86-66, in the final game of the 2016 Legends Classic at Welsh-Ryan Arena Friday afternoon.

Vic Law was Northwestern's leading scorer for the fourth time this season by scoring a team-high 22 points, while Scottie Lindsey chipped in a season-high 20 points and Gavin Skelly tallied a career-high 15.

Northwestern (4-2) matched a school record with 12 blocked shots in the contest, as Law turned away a career-high four shot attempts and Skelly recorded three blocks.

Bryant (2-4) was led by Nisre Zouzoua, who shot 9-of-19 from the field to score a game-high 24 points, while his teammate Adam Grant chipped in 19 points.

As a team, Northwestern shot 47.7-percent from the field on 31-of-65 shooting. The 31 field goals made were one shy of its season-high mark and the 65 shot attempts were the most it has taken in a game this season.

Northwestern held control of Friday's game from the opening tip. Lindsey scored the Wildcats' first five points of the game and helped NU build a 17-5 lead just seven minutes into the contest.

Lindsey hit one of his three 3-pointers with 6:22 left in the first half to put the 'Cats up, 32-11, and give NU its largest lead of the first half.

The Wildcats were good with the basketball in their hands in the opening 20 minutes, recording 13 assists to only four turnovers. Northwestern would go on to tally a season-high 25 assists in the game.

Northwestern held a 38-23 lead at the break.

Bryant showed energy by starting the second half with five-straight points and eventually closing the deficit to three points when Zouzoua hit a triple to make it, 42-39, with 15:29 to play.

That was as close as Bryant would come to catching Northwestern, as the Wildcats answered with a 16-2 run to bust the game wide open and eventually go on to win, 86-66.

Dererk Pardon compiled 10 rebounds in the victory. It was the second time this season that he has accumulated 10 or more boards in a game.

The Wildcats scored 27 bench points and 36 of its 86 points came in the paint.

Northwestern continues its season-long five-game homestand on Monday, Nov. 28 when it hosts Wake Forest as part of the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.

Northwestern Notes vs. Bryant
Nov. 25, 2016
• This was the first meeting between Northwestern and Bryant.
• Friday's game was a regional round game of the Legends Classic. Northwestern defeated Eastern Washington 86-72 in its first regional round game Nov. 14.
• Northwestern matched a school record with 12 blocked shots. The Wildcats also had 12 blocks vs. Iowa 2/15/15 and vs. Purdue 2/2/13.
• Junior forward Gavin Skelly came off the bench to record a career-high 15 points. Skelly achieved a new high in the first half alone, scoring 12 points. His previous best was 10 points vs. New Orleans Nov. 28, 2015.
• Skelly also set a new best with 6 assists in the game. His previous high was 3 on two occasions.
• Sophomore center Dererk Pardon recorded a game-high 10 rebounds. It is the second time this season and the third time in his career that he has recorded 10 or more rebounds in a contest.
• Junior guard Scottie Lindsey matched a season high with 6 assists. He also had 6 assists against Eastern Washington Nov. 14. His career high of 7 assists came Nov. 24, 2015 vs. Missouri.
• Redshirt sophomore Vic Law scored a team-high 22 points. It is his second 20-point game of the season and of his career.
• Northwestern came into the game ranked second in Big Ten with a 1.35 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Wildcats further helped that mark with 25 assists and only 9 turnovers in Friday's contest, boosting their assist-to-turnover ratio to 1.54.
• NU assisted on 13 of its 14 first-half field goals and finished with 25 assists on 31 baskets.