Northwestern Completes Season Sweep of Minnesota

1/23/2018 9:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Coach Collins Postgame Highlights Final Box (PDF)McIntosh Postgame Law Postgame

Law leads NU with 18 points, career-high 13 rebounds

By: Zach Wingrove

MINNEAPOLIS — Backed by a solid second half effort and Vic Law's fourth career double-double, Northwestern picked up a 77-69 win at Minnesota on Tuesday night to complete a season sweep over the Golden Gophers.

Law totaled 18 points on the night and a career-high 13 rebounds, while matching his career best in assists with five dimes. Joining Law with a team-high 18 points was Bryant McIntosh, who finished with three assists while shooting 7-of-13 from the field.

Minnesota led by as many as 10 points in the first half, however the #B1GCats outscored the Gophers, 43-29, in the second half, with NU shooting 53.8-percent (14-of-26) from the field, while holding Minnesota to just 9-of-29 shooting in the second half.

Scottie Lindsey finished the night with 15 points, scoring 11 in the second half during the Wildcats' comeback. Dererk Pardon came up just two rebounds shy of his ninth career double-double, finishing with 10 points, eight points and three blocks.

An 11-2 run early in the opening stanza helped the Wildcats jump out to a 13-7 lead. Bryant McIntosh began the run with a triple, his first of the day, and then followed it up with a jumper on the ensuing possession. That jumper was the first of eight unanswered points for the Wildcats.

But Minnesota got off to a hot start offensively, knocking down 53.0-percent of their shots in the first half, including 6-of-10, three-pointers to jump ahead of the Wildcats.

The #B1GCats continued to cut away at the lead as they held the Golden Gophers without a field goal for the final 2:45 of the first half. A dunk by Law and a jumper by McIntosh sent Northwestern into the break trailing, 40-34.

McIntosh led the Wildcats at the half with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, while Law joined him in double figures with 10 points to go along with seven rebounds. As a team, the Wildcats converted on 43.0-percent (13-of-30) of their shots from the field.

The 'Cats clawed their way back in the second half, converting on 7-of-12 shots in the half's first 10 minutes. With 10:57 remaining, Law converted on a triple to give NU a 56-54 lead, its first lead of the half.

Three consecutive baskets by Pardon, including back-to-back two-handed dunks underneath the hoop, gave the Wildcats a 61-59 lead with 4:56 to go in the game.

Following the three from Law, the lead proceeded to go back-and-forth midway through the second half as Pardon converted on a jumper to put NU up, 58-56. Then, with 7:37 remaining, McIntosh knocked down a jumper to give the Wildcats a 60-58 lead.

Following the jumper from McIntosh, Northwestern never relinquished the lead. The Wildcats' defense held Minnesota to just five field goals in the final 10 minutes of the half, while NU converted on 7-of-8 free throws during the final 1:15 to ice the game.

Northwestern will be back in action Wednesday, Jan. 23, when it travels to Ann Arbor to take on the Michigan Wolverines at the Crisler Center for the second of three consecutive road games for the Wildcats. Tip time is 8 p.m. CT with the action being televised on BTN.

Northwestern Notes at Minnesota – Jan. 23, 2018
• Northwestern has now won its last four game at Williams Arena, all under head coach Chris Collins.
• This was the first of three consecutive road games for Northwestern. It's the first time the Wildcats will have played three straight league games on the road since the 2002-03 season.
• Bryant McIntosh appeared in the 121^st game of his career, matching him with Craig Moore for ninth place in Northwestern history.
• McIntosh surpassed 1,600 career points in the contest. He is one of only four players in Big Ten Conference history to record at least 1,600 career points and 650 career assists, joining Michigan's Gary Grant and Dee Brown and Demetri McCamey of Illinois.
• Vic Law posted 18 points and 13 rebounds to record his second double-double of the season and the fourth of his career.
• It is the fifth double-figure rebounding game of Law's career. The 13 rebounds are a career high, besting his previous high of 12 on two occasions.
• Law matched a career high with five assists in the game. It is the fifth time in his career and the third time this season that he has dished out five assists.
• Aaron Falzon's eight free throws match a season high by a Northwestern player and are a career high. Falzon's previous high was six Jan. 2, 2016 vs. Maryland.