Northwestern
1-0,0-0Big Ten
Binghamton
0-1,0-0America East
Buie Scores 27 as 'Cats Top Binghamton 72-61 in Season Opener
11/6/2023 9:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Guards Boo Buie and Brooks Barnhizer combined to score 45 points in Northwestern's season-opening 72-61 victory over Binghamton inside Welsh-Ryan Arena on Monday night.
Buie led the Wildcats (1-0) with 27 points, the most by a Wildcat in a season-opener since 2010.
1-0 ?
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) November 7, 2023
27 points for @booboo_buie ?? pic.twitter.com/WmBLc3ovkr
Barnhizer notched his third career double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds in his first career start, while also contributing a team-high four steals and two blocks.
Guard Ryan Langborg chipped in 13 points in his Wildcat debut after transferring from Princeton. Langborg is the first Wildcat to score 10+ points and shoot over 50% in his Wildcat debut since Ty Berry and Chase Audige both did so against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 2, 2020.
Northwestern forced 19 Binghamton turnovers while committing 12 themselves in Monday's game. The Wildcats turned those takeaways into 15 points on the other end of the floor.
How It Happened
After a sluggish start, Northwestern shook the rust off with a 7-0 run with 8:32 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Langborg, to narrow the early deficit to 29-25. The Wildcats continued to close the gap, cutting the Binghamton lead to 39-36 by the end of the first half.
After trading baskets to open the second half, the Wildcats went on an 8-0 run retake the lead, capped off by a Langborg jumper with 9:31 remaining to grab a 52-47 lead. Northwestern capitalized on 13 Binghamton turnovers in the period, collecting nine points off those turnovers. The Wildcats held Binghamton to 22 points in the second half, the fewest points it has allowed in a second half since holding No. 1 Purdue to 21 points in the second half in an upset win on Feb. 12, 2023.
Game Notes
» Northwestern moves to 10-1 in season openers under Chris Collins and has won 15 of its last 16 lidlifters.
» Northwestern won the turnover battle 19-12. The 'Cats led the turnover margin in 26 of their 34 games last season.
» Northwestern recorded nine blocks, its most since it also had nine blocks against NJIT on Dec. 12, 2021.
» This is the 'Cats sixth game with 12+ steals in the Chris Collins era (2013-present).
» Boo Buie scored a game-high 27 points on 9-of-20 shooting, his highest scoring output since a 35-point explosion against Illinois on Feb. 23, 2023.
» He also connected on his 200th career 3-pointer, tying the program record for the eighth-most in a career.
» Ryan Langborg tallied 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting in his first game for the 'Cats since transferring from Princeton.
» Matthew Nicholson filled the box score with five points, six rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and three steals.
» Nicholson is the fifth Wildcat since the 2010-11 season with three or more points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals in the same game, joining Boo Buie, Chase Audige, John Shurna, and Drew Crawford.
» Jordan Clayton tallied 17 minutes in his collegiate debut.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
