'Cats Ready to Host Pittsburgh in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Wednesday, December 9

Evanston, Ill.

8:15 PM CT

Northwestern

Pittsburgh

'Cats Ready to Host Pittsburgh in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

12/7/2020 2:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball

NORTHWESTERN MEN'S BASKETBALL: GAMEDAY INFORMATION
DATE	Opponent	TIME	LOCATION	Television	Live Stats
Wednesday, Dec. 9	Pittsburgh	8:15 pm CT	Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena)	ESPN	Live Stats
Radio: WGN 720 Social: Twitter: @NUMensbball \| Instagram: @numensbball VIRTUAL PRESS BOX

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern looks to continue its hot start to the season as it welcomes Pittsburgh to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Wednesday for the 22nd annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Tip-off is set for 8:15 p.m. CT, with the action nationally televised on ESPN.

The Wildcats are off to a fast start to the season, taking down Chicago State in their last time out by a score of 111-66 to improve to 2-0. Redshirt sophomore Chase Audige scored a game-high 20 points, while sophomore Robbie Beran contributed a career-high 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting to lead the offensive attack.

Northwestern's 111 point performance is tied for the fifth-most points in a game in program history and is the highest output for a Wildcat team since December 19, 1966. It also marks the first time the Wildcats have surpassed 100 points since 2015.

Wednesday will be the 20th matchup between Northwestern and Pitt, with the Wildcats holding a 10-9 advantage in the series. The two programs faced off last season in the championship game of the Rocket Mortgage Ft. Myers Tip-Off on Nov. 27, 2019, with the Panthers eding the Wildcats, 72-59.

Northwestern is 10-11 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and will look to extend its winning streak in the Challenge to three-straight. The Wildcats defeated Boston College by a score of 82-64 last season, preceded by a 67-61 win over Georgia Tech at Welsh-Ryan Arena in 2018. The Wildcats have won four of their last five matchups in the Challenge and are 6-4 overall in games played at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

STORYLINES

The Wildcats scored 203 combined points in their first two games, the most a Northwestern team has scored through the first two games of a season since 1966, when they scored 213 points. This also marks the first time Northwestern has scored 90+ points in back-to-back games since 2011, when they did so in a 93-81 win on Jan. 9 vs. Indiana followed by a 90-71 win at Iowa on Jan. 12.
Through two games, the 'Cats are shooting 25-of-53 from beyond the arc, the most made threes and highest three-point percentage in the Big Ten. It is the highest number of made threes through two games in the Chris Collins era and since at least the 2003-04 season, as well as the highest three-point percentage through two games since the 2012-13 season.
Miller Kopp is shooting 60.0% (9-for-15) from the field and 70.0% from deep (7-for-10) through the first two games. Kopp is the only qualified Power 5 player shooting over 60% from three-point range. Kopp is also one of two Power 5 players shooting at least 60% from the field and 50% from the three-point line, while qualifying for the three-point percentage leaderboard.
First-year Ty Berry is averaging 14.5 points per game, tied for the best among all Big Ten first-years. Berry is also leading all Big Ten first-years in three-point percentage (min. 8 attempts) shooting 45.5% (5-for-11) from deep. All 29 of Berry's points on the season have come in the second half.
Sophomore Boo Buie has matched his career high with seven assists in each of the Wildcats' two games this season. Buie's 14 assists through the Wildcats' first two games are the most by an NU player since Dave Sobolewski, who had 17 in two games to open the 2012-13 campaign.
Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins will meet up with a familiar face in Pittsburgh head coach, Jeff Capel. Collins and Capel were teammates at Duke for three seasons (1993-96) and helped the Blue Devils reach the 1994 national championship game. Both also served together as coaches with USA Basketball and assistant coaches at Duke from 2011-13.