Northwestern Racks Up 111 Points in Win over Chicago State

12/5/2020 6:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern continued it impressive start to the season with a dominant 111-66 win over Chicago State at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday afternoon, improving to 2-0 on the year.

Saturday's game marked the Wildcats' highest scoring output since 1966, as well as the first time Northwestern has reached triple digits in a game since 2015, when the 'Cats posted 103 points against Sacred Heart. All-in-all, the Wildcats did not trail for a single second of the game.

Northwestern commanded the court with a fast-paced offense, notching 19 fast break points to Chicago State's three. For the second-straight game, five 'Cats ended in double-digit points. Chase Audige led the court with 20 points, marking the third 20+ point game of his career. Robbie Beran followed behind with a career-high 19 points, eclipsing his previous high of 17. Miller Kopp, Ty Berry and Pete Nance joined them with 16, 14 and 12 respectively.

The 'Cats also saw significant success defensively, easily controlling the glass and racking up 54 rebounds. Anthony Gaines pulled down a career-best 12 boards, while Audige and Nance finished just behind him with eight apiece.

The Wildcats came out firing on all cylinders early in the first half, fueled by early buckets from Boo Buie and Audige. Robbie Beran led the early charge, shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the floor while putting up nine points in his first 15 minutes of action.

Northwestern knuckled down defensively in the first half as well as Nance posted two steals while Audige grabbed six rebounds to lead the court. The 'Cats were able to force eight turnovers in the first half which they turned into 17 points on the other end.

Kopp led Northwestern in the first half with 14 points, going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, helping the 'Cats end the first half with a dominant lead, 51-35. It marked the second-straight 50+ point half for Northwestern, after putting up 53 points in the second half against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Wednesday. The Wildcats followed that up with 60 points in the second half after shooting 58 percent (20-of-29) from the field.

Audige found success at the charity stripe early in the second half. He ended the game with nine free throws, surpassing his previous career high of five set in his 2018-19 season with William and Mary. All-in-all the 'Cats made 28 free throws, their most since 2010.

The 'Cats kept up the charge, going on a 16-3 run midway through the second frame, highlighted by eight points from Berry. His fellow first-years Matthew Nicholson and Dom Martinelli also saw time on the court, with Martinelli scoring Northwestern's last points.

Northwestern will be back at Welsh-Ryan Arena for their Big Ten/ACC challenge match-up against Pittsburgh on Wednesday. The tip-off is set for 8:15 p.m, with coverage on ESPNU and WGN Radio.