NORTHWESTERN BASKETBALL: GAME DAY INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	TELEVISION	LIVE STATS
Sunday, Dec. 30	Columbia	4 p.m.	The New Welsh-Ryan Arena Evanston, Ill.	BTN Plus	Sidearm
Radio: WGN Radio AM-720 (Dave Eanet and Joey Meyer) Social: Twitter (@NUMensBball) \| Instagram (@numensbball) \| Facebook Notes: Northwestern \| Columbia

EVANSTON, Ill. — At long last, Northwestern (8-4) is ready to wrap up its non-conference slate. The Wildcats are set to battle Columbia (3-8) at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December, 30, at the new Welsh-Ryan Arena.

NU and Columbia have battled thrice in history, with the Wildcats holding a 2-1 advantage over the Ivy League foe — the only loss coming in 1969. Chicago's Big Ten Team staved off Columbia in November 2015 in an 83-80, overtime affair. (For those keeping tabs, NU is 25-9 all-time against Ivy League schools.)

In similar fashion, Northwestern's last time out was another overtime thriller, this time against Oklahoma. The 'Cats took the Sooners, who own a top-15 ranking in the NCAA's NET system, to extra-time but fell, 76-69.

In the contest, NU amassed 20 assists — the squad's third-straight game recording 20-plus helpers. The 'Cats were led on the passing front by sophomore Anthony Gaines, who posted a team-high six dimes while playing a career-high 36 minutes in the non-conference scuffle.

In the game, redshirt senior Vic Law compiled 23 points, including three made three-point field goals. The Chicago, Illinois, native has scored in double-figures in 12-straight games, the longest such skein of his career. The forward also continues to climb up the Wildcat record books, as he moved into 20th place on NU's all-time scoring list, passing Kevin Coble and his 1,203 points.

Also moving up the Northwestern leaderboards is senior Dererk Pardon, who compiled a pair of blocks in NU's overtime game against the Sooners, moving him into a tie for fourth place with 132, tied with former NBA'er Evan Eschmeyer.

STORYLINES TO WATCH

DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE: Six times this season, NU has held their opposition below their scoring average in regulation, including three times against top-25 foes. Most recently, the 'Cats limited Oklahoma to 66 points in 40 minutes of roundball, while the Sooners came into the contest averaging nearly 77 points a game. A big part of the success? Limiting senior standout Christian James, who came into the game averaging 18.5 points per game. He scored only 12 against the Wildcats' stringent defense, coming off a 5-of-21 effort. Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins was pleased with the effort: "I thought we did a pretty good job not giving him easy baskets and making him score in the half-court."

LAW AND ORDER: There's not much that senior forward Vic Law hasn't done for NU this season. Of note, he's averaging above his career averages in essentially every major category. He's leading the Wildcats in points per game (18.8), three pointers made per game (2.3), steals per game (1.0), and free throws made per game (3.9). His shooting has been one of Northwestern's keys to success: when he shoots 45 percent or better, NU is 7-0.

LOOKING AHEAD: After NU's non-conference matchup with Columbia, the Wildcats are head-first into Big Ten competition. The Conference has been as tough as ever, with nine Big Ten programs ranked or receiving votes in a poll. Northwestern dropped its first two Big Ten matchups by a combined four points to No. 23 Indiana and No. 2 Michigan. Next up: a battle with No. 8 Michigan State in East Lansing on January 2.

QUOTABLES

"I thought he did a good job. He made a big three, I thought he was active. He's getting better, him and Miller [Kopp] both. … I think [our young guys] are getting better and they're doing great and they're going to be counted on big time as we get into the conference."
— Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins on first-year Pete Nance

"I thought it was a terrific college basketball game. I thought it was a great atmosphere. … I thought our fans were here, I thought they were loud, I thought it was a great environment."
— Collins on the sold-out new Welsh-Ryan Arena

"We have to come back and just regroup and focus up. It's clear as day: we're a very good game. … It is what it is, life moves on. I'm very confident in my team. I don't think there's any team we can't compete with."
— Redshirt senior Vic Law on a string of close losses to strong competition

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Wildcats to Play Columbia in Non-Conference Finale

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Next Event

Players Mentioned

Anthony Gaines

Vic Law

Pete Nance

Dererk Pardon

Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern University Athletics

Wildcats to Play Columbia in Non-Conference Finale

••••••

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Anthony Gaines

Vic Law

Pete Nance

Dererk Pardon

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