Huge First-Half Run Lifts Northwestern Over Rutgers in B1G Tournament

3/9/2017 9:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Wildcats go on record-setting 31-0 surge

By: Amit Mallik

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Northwestern used a massive 31-0 run over a majority of the first half Thursday night to build an insurmountable lead over Rutgers, handing the Wildcats an 83-61 victory to advance NU into the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Northwestern now moves on to play No. 3 seed Maryland at 8 p.m. CT tomorrow, Friday, March 10.

The Wildcats (22-10, 10-8) broke out a 37-9 lead with 6:11 left in the first frame and never looked back.

It was a balanced and efficient offensive night for NU, with four starters in double figures. Sophomore Vic Law and junior Scottie Lindsey both scored 16 points with the former shooting 5-6 from the field. Sophomore Dererk Pardon added 13 points and eight rebounds while junior Bryant McIntosh recorded 13 points on 6-9 shooting.

Northwestern caught fire early in the first half, embarking on a historic run spanning over 10 minutes. Down 9-6 just with 17:09 to play in the first, Law hit a jumper before McIntosh got things going with his patented floater.

Up 10-9, the 'Cats drained four triples in a row to blow the game open, including two from Law in the left corner. Pardon added four straight points followed by a Skelly layup to make it 28-9.

On the next play, the run reached its peak when Scottie Lindsey got loose in transition and found a streaking Law on the right wing for a thunderous alley-oop. Sanjay Lumpkin tacked on a wide-open three from the left corner and Pardon finished the monstrous 31-0 stretch with an easy layup.

Northwestern finished the first half leading 42-24 and shooting 53.3% from the field, while holding the Scarlet Knights to just a 32.1 field goal percentage.

The Wildcats kept their foot on the gas pedal and saw out the second half comfortably. With 14 minutes to go in the game, they went on another run where they made 10 straight field goals, including a key triple from freshman Isiah Brown.

McIntosh led the way in the second with 11 of his 13 points coming in the period. Charlie Hall also appeared and snagged a career high two rebounds.

Northwestern Big Ten Tournament Notes vs. Rutgers
March 9, 2017
• Northwestern advances to Friday's quarterfinal round where it will take on third-seeded Maryland.
• Northwestern's No. 6 seed this year matches its best ever in the Big Ten tournament. The Wildcats also were seeded sixth in 2004.
• The Wildcats improve to 6-2 in the Big Ten tournament when playing as the higher-seeded team.
• This was the first meeting between Northwestern and Rutgers in the Big Ten tournament.
• Northwestern is now 5-0 against Rutgers since the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten Conference. The Wildcats lead the overall series 9-1.
• The victory is Northwestern's 22^nd of the season, extending the school record.
• The 22-point margin of victory is Northwestern's largest in Big Ten tournament history. The previous best was 15 (73-58) over Indiana in 2010.
• Northwestern's 31-0 first-half run is eight points shy of the NCAA record for longest scoring run by a team against another Division I opponent. The record is 39 straight points by Oklahoma against Weber State Dec. 22, 2014.
• Northwestern's .600 field goal percentage is its best mark in a game this season. The previous best was .597 (37-62) against Iowa Jan. 15. It's NU's best mark in a game since shooting .610 (36-591) against Sacred Heart Dec. 21, 2015.
• The field goal percentage is Northwestern's best ever in a Big Ten tournament game. The previous record was .523 (23-44) in a win over Iowa March 13, 2014.
• NU set school Big Ten tournament records with 83 points (previous high: 76 vs. Minnesota, 3/13/03) and 30 field goals (previous high: 25 vs. Michigan, 3/01/16) while matching another best with 19 assists.
• Scottie Lindsey's 16 points are his most in a game since scoring 21 at Ohio State Jan. 22.
• The Wildcats improve to 12-4 this season when senior Sanjay Lumpkin scores at least 8 points in a game. Lumpkin scored 9 points Thursday.