Wildcats Take to Mexico for Two Games in Cancun Challenge

NORTHWESTERN MEN'S BASKETBALL: GAME INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	WATCH	LIVE STATS
Tuesday, November 22	Liberty	7 p.m. CT	Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya Cancun, Mex.	CBSSN	Live Stats
Wednesday, November 23	Auburn or Bradley	5 or 7:30 p.m. CT	Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya Cancun, Mex.	CBSSN	Live Stats
Radio: AM 720 WGN Social: Twitter: @NUMensbball \| Instagram: @numensbball \| Digital Program

EVANSTON, Ill. – The Northwestern men's basketball team heads for warmer temperatures this week at it travels to the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya for a pair of games as part of the Cancun Challenge. The 4-0 Wildcats will battle Liberty at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Nov. 22 and play either Auburn or Bradley on Wednesday, Nov. 23. Both games will air on CBS Sports Network with Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Pete Gillen (analyst) on the call, while Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst) have the radio call on AM 720 WGN for Tuesday's game. Wednesday's contest will air on either WGN or AM 1000 WMVP.

Senior Boo Buie pumped in a season-high 28 points and connected on a career-high seven treys as Northwestern earned a 60-52 home victory over preseason Horizon League favorite Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday night. With his second three of the game, the Albany, N.Y. product became the 39th Wildcat to score 1,000 career points. On a night where scoring was tough to come by, the Wildcats defense hunkered down to allow the Mastodons to shoot just 32.7% (18-for-55) from the field and 22.9% (8-for-35) from long range. With Northwestern clinging to a 53-52 lead with 2:42 left to play, the defense did not surrender a point, allowing the 'Cats to score the game's final seven points.

Senior Chase Audige posted four steals and three blocks, and was the first NU player to post those numbers since John Shurna in 2012 against Minnesota. The NU defense ranks 12th nationally in field goal percentage defense (33.2%) and 17th in scoring defense (53.8). Northwestern has started the season 4-0 for the second straight season and third time under head coach Chris Collins. NU was last 5-0 in 2014-15, the last year the team competed in the Cancun Challenge.

Buie leads the team averaging 17.3 points per game and posted 20.0 points per game last week. Senior Robbie Beran and junior Ty Berry are tied for the team lead averaging 6.8 rebounds per game. Beran hauled in a season-high eight boards in his last game against PFW. Audige and Buie are tied for the team lead with 5.5 assists per game.

The Wildcats are 2-0 all-time against Liberty, last downing the Flames 69-53 on Nov. 24, 2009. Drew Crawford scored a team-high 22 points and hit five threes, while John Shurna contributed 14 points.

For the second straight game, Northwestern will face a preseason conference favorite, as Liberty was picked to win the ASUN. Darius McGhee leads the team averaging 20.3 points per game and Joseph Venzant is the team's leading rebounder at 6.3 per game.

The 'Cats will face either Auburn or Bradley in game two. NU has never played Auburn on the hardwood and is 9-1 all-time against the Braves.

Northwestern is looking to win the program's first MTE tournament championship.

Wildcats Take to Mexico for Two Games in Cancun Challenge

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Players Mentioned

Chase Audige

Robbie Beran

Ty Berry

Boo Buie

Northwestern University Athletics