Lindsey Drops Career-High 32, 'Cats Comeback Falls Short At Iowa

2/25/2018 8:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Senior ties school record with nine 3-pointers

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Scottie Lindsey dropped a career-high 32 points to lead Northwestern's comeback effort that came up just short as the Wildcats fell, 77-70, to Iowa in the regular-season finale.

Lindsey shot 71.4 percent (10-for-14) from the field and 81.8 percent (9-for-11) from behind the arc. His nine 3-pointers matched a Northwestern program record and is the most ever by a Wildcat player in a Big Ten game.

First year Anthony Gaines chipped in with nine points, his fifth-best output of the season.

Sophomore Barret Benson finished with eight points, a tie for his career-high, on a perfect 4-of-4 line from the field. He grabbed ten rebounds for the first time in his career and also played a career-high 25 minutes.

Dererk Pardon also grabbed nine rebounds and added six points. Aaron Falzon connected on two triples to finish with six points.

Despite starting brightly with a Pardon dunk and a jumper from Bryant McIntosh, who started the game but only played seven minutes, Northwestern could not keep pace with the Hawkeyes' potent offense.

Lindsey cut the early lead to 12-9 with his first three, but his next two triples would be the only source of offense as the hosts put a 30-15 stronghold on the game.

Benson was active in the paint in the rest of the first half with a tip-in and two lay-ups, but Iowa headed to the break up, 45-28.

Lindsey picked up in the second frame where he left off and drained two triples early to cut the lead to 50-34.

Iowa kept its foot on the gas pedal until Northwestern came back to life late in the ballgame. Isiah Brown drained a 3-pointer to kickoff a 7-0 run that brought the 'Cats within 12.

Northwestern hit the Hawkeyes with a barrage of deep balls, including Lindsey's sixth and seventh 3-pointers to force a timeout from Iowa's head coach Fran McCaffery at 73-65.

Iowa avoided a collapse in the closing moments and held on for the win. Lindsey ended his night with an exclamation point, knocking down his ninth three with five seconds to go to make it 77-70.

Northwestern finished the regular season 15-16 overall and 6-12 in Big Ten play, earning the No. 10 seed for the conference tournament. The Wildcats will travel to Madison Square Garden to play No. 7 Penn State on Thursday, March 1, at 5:30 p.m. CT.

Northwestern Notes at Iowa – Feb. 25, 2018
• Northwestern is the No. 10 seed for this week's Big Ten tournament in New York City. The Wildcats will play seventh-seeded Penn State at 5:30 p.m. Central time Thursday.
• Scottie Lindsey matched a Northwestern record by knocking down nine 3-point field goals in the game. It's the most ever by a Wildcat in a Big Ten game and it marks the total previously achieved by Craig Moore at Brown Nov. 22, 2008 and John Shurna vs. Eastern Illinois Dec. 18, 2011. The previous NU record for triples in a game was eight by Moore at Michigan Feb. 26, 2008.
• Lindsey now has 77 triples this season, moving him into a tie with Todd Leslie (1993-94) for the ninth-best single-season mark in school history.
• Lindsey's 32 points are a career high, topping his 31-point game at Penn State Dec. 27, 2016. The point total is a season high for a Northwestern player, topping Vic Law's 30-point game vs. Creighton Nov. 15.
• First-year Anthony Gaines dished out a career-high 6 assists. His previous best was 5 vs. Maryland Feb. 19.
• Sophomore center Barret Benson came off the bench to post the best game of his career, posting 8 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. His 10 rebounds bested his previous high of 6 vs. Houston Baptist Dec. 22, 2016 while his point total matches a career high previously achieved at Purdue Feb. 1, 2017.
• Northwestern's 13 3-pointers as a team are a season high. The Wildcats had hit 12 triples four times this season.