Northwestern
15-5,6-3Big Ten
Minnesota
7-13,1-9Big Ten
'Cats Start Fast, Race Past Minnesota, 81-61
1/28/2023 12:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Audige, Buie both crack 20-point mark in third straight win for Northwestern
EVANSTON, Ill. - Chase Audige and Boo Buie both surpassed the 20-point mark as Northwestern seized control midway through the first half in a resounding 81-61 win over Minnesota on Saturday inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The Wildcats (15-5, 6-3 B1G), who won their third straight, had three players score in double figures, led by Audige, who put up a game-high 24 points. Buie added 21 points and a season-best eight assists, while Robbie Beran rounded out the trio with 14 points.
Northwestern shot 51.7 percent (31-for-60) from the field, a mark that included a 45-percent clip (9-for-20) from beyond the three-point arc.
The 'Cats pestered Minnesota on the defensive end, forcing 15 Golden Gopher turnovers that translated into 18 points on the offensive end. Northwestern finished the afternoon with just four miscues.
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— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) January 28, 2023
'Cats are 6-3 in the B1G ?? pic.twitter.com/AjT1KfqlW5
How It Happened
After falling behind 11-7, Northwestern used an 11-0 run, sparked by a Ty Berry triple, to take a lead it would not relinquish as it raced in front, 18-11, following three straight Buie makes at the free throw line with 11:57 remaining. A Brooks Barnhizer layup at the 9:40 mark pushed the lead into double digits, 23-13, before the 'Cats used a 9-0 surge, capped off by another Barnhizer bucket, to open up a 36-18 lead with 4:59 remaining. Northwestern, which hit on six threes in the opening 20 minutes, went on to take a 45-28 lead into halftime.
Northwestern continued to force the issue in the second half. The Wildcats took their largest lead of the afternoon, 61-36, on an Audige trey with 13:15 to go in regulation. Minnesota would get no closer than 15 the rest of the way as the 'Cats closed out a 10th home win on the year to move into a tie for second place in the Big Ten Conference standings.
Game Notes
» Audige led all scorers with 24 points, his sixth-game this season with at least 20 points.
» Buie, who put up 21 points, has now scored in double figures in 14 straight contests.
» Audige and Buie are the first 'Cats to score 20-plus points in the same game since Audige, Ty Berry, and Pete Nance all did so against Ohio State on January 9, 2022.
» Beran's 14-point showing marked his eighth game in double figures this season.
» Verhoeven was a force on the defensive end, racking up a season-best three blocks.
» Northwestern finished with six rejections as a team
» The 'Cats dished out 16 assists against only four turnovers.
Northwestern hits the road to battle Iowa on Tuesday, January 31 for an 8 p.m. tip-off on Big Ten Network.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
