Northwestern Falls in Defensive Battle at No. 24 Michigan

1/29/2018 7:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Playing in their second of three straight games on the road, Northwestern fell to No. 24 Michigan, 58-47, at the Crisler Center on Monday night.

A fast start gave the Wildcats an early lead, however despite a strong defensive performance throughout the game, the 'Cats were unable to overcome a slew of turnovers and a poor shooting performance from the field.

Scottie Lindsey led all players with 15 points, marking the 10th game this season in which he has scored 15-or-more points for the Wildcats, while Dererk Pardon contributed with nine points and seven rebounds. Bryant McIntosh and Vic Law each finished with six points, with Law adding seven rebounds and McIntosh dishing out a game-high five assists.

Northwestern wasted no time getting going as it jumped out to a 14-5 lead in the game's first seven minutes. The #B1GCats saw a balanced scoring effort as their first six baskets came from six different players.

Leading, 14-9, with 7:50 remaining in the first half, Lindsey continued his hot start by knocking down a corner three-pointer and then, on the ensuing possession, finishing a two-handed slam with authority to extend the 'Cats' lead to 19-11.

Michigan closed the half on a 10-0 run to head into the locker room with a 21-19 lead. Both teams' defenses made offensive production difficult for one another, as Northwestern converted 33.3-percent (8-of-24) of its looks from the field, while Michigan converted on 36.0-percent (9-of-25) of its shots.

The Wolverines caught fire from behind the arc to open up the second half, converting on three of their first four looks from deep to open their lead up to as many as eight in the first four minutes of the second half. However, Northwestern battled back with three consecutive baskets from Gavin Skelly, McIntosh and Law to cap off a 6-0 run and the trim the deficit to 32-30 with 14:33 to go in the half.

The Wildcats continued going toe-to-toe with the Wolverines in scoring midway through the half, as back-to-back threes from Lindsey and Aaron Falzon cut the score to 41-38 in favor of Michigan.

Trailing by seven with under eight minutes to play, Northwestern's defense was able to string together multiple stops, but struggled to get shots to fall on the other end.

Chicago's Big Ten team will be back in action this Thursday, Feb. 1, when it travels to Madison to face Wisconsin at the Kohl Center. Tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with the action being televised on FS1. The Wildcats will return home to Allstate Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 6 when they host Michigan for a 6 p.m. tip. Tickets are available online at NUsports.com or by calling 888-GO-PURPLE.