Northwestern Runs Past McKendree in Debut of New Welsh-Ryan Arena

11/2/2018 9:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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EVANSTON, Ill. — In the debut of the new Welsh-Ryan Arena, Northwestern put together a dominant defensive performance to defeat McKendree, 83-44, in a sold-out exhibition game.

Senior Vic Law scored a game-high 14 points, while adding five rebounds and two assists to pace the Wildcats. First-year Pete Nance and sophomore Anthony Gaines also scored in double-digits for Northwestern with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

McKendree hung with Northwestern out of the gate, leading 11-9 through six minutse. However, the Wildcats responded with 13 unanswered points to grab the lead, including a pair of fastbreak dunks from Nance and Gaines.

Northwestern took a 41-25 lead into the half. The 'Cats shot 56 percent (18-of-32) from the field before the break and assisted on 12 of those makes. Gaines led the way with eight points, while redshirt junior A.J. Turner added six points and four assists. NU piled up six steals in the first 20 minutes, three of which belonged to Nance.

Northwestern continued the stifling defense into the second half, only allowing 8 points in the first 13 minutes of the frame. Vic Law scored 10 of the team's first 18 points to open up the half, including a fastbreak dunk to cap off a 9-0 NU run. The Wildcats cruised through the rest of the game, ultimately taking the second half by a 42-19 margin.

Northwestern's highly-regarded first-year class lived up to expectations in their collegiate debuts. Pete Nance led the group with 12 points and seven rebounds. Nance also stuffed the stat sheet with three blocks and four steals, proving his 6' 10" frame was too much for McKendree to handle. Fellow first-year Miller Kopp also produced a balanced effort with six points, five rebounds and five assists.

The senior class also had itself a day, led by Dererk Pardon and his six points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Jordan Ash also contributed with five points of his own. Those two, along with Law, will be expected to carry a large load for the young Wildcats this year.

The Wildcats returns to action on Thursday, Nov. 8, as they host New Orleans at the new Welsh-Ryan Arena at 7 p.m. A win would give Chicago's Big Ten a victory in its last 11 season-openers. Buy tickets here!

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