'Cats Close out 2023 with 74-63 Win over Jackson State

Friday, December 29

Evanston, Ill.

7 p.m. CT

Northwestern

10-2,1-0Big Ten

Jackson State

4-9,0-0SWAC

Jackson St.

Northwestern

Photo by: GRIFFIN QUINN/Northwestern Athletics

'Cats Close out 2023 with 74-63 Win over Jackson State

12/29/2023 9:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Highlights Press Conference Postgame Notes Photo Gallery

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern closed out non-conference play with a 74-63 win over Jackson State, improving to 10-2 on the season, on Friday night inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats have won at least 10 of their first 12 games for the fourth time in the Chris Collins era.

Capping off 2023 with a Win ? pic.twitter.com/3RsMnv80ys
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) December 30, 2023

The Wildcats (10-2) had three players score in double figures, led by Ty Berry, who had 20 points and six rebounds. Ryan Langborg tacked on 17 points and Boo Buie chipped in as well with 12 points and five assists.

Northwestern shared the ball well in Friday's game, racking up 21 assists on 27 made field goals. It marks the fourth time the Wildcats have recorded 20-plus assists in a game this season. Brooks Barnhizer's five assists led all 'Cats.

Northwestern forced 14 Jackson State (4-9) turnovers while committing 11 themselves in Friday's game. The Wildcats turned those takeaways into 16 points on the other end of the floor, compared to just four for JSU. Barnhizer's three steals led the way for the Wildcats. Northwestern has won the turnover battle in 10 of its 12 games this season.

Gallery: (12-29-2023) Men's Basketball vs. Jackson State

How It Happened

After Jackson State scored the game's first basket, Ryan Langborg responded with three consecutive 3-pointers to give the Wildcats a 9-2 lead. Northwestern led by as many as 10, but the Tigers trimmed the lead to 39-33 going into the break. The 'Cats won the turnover battle 8-2 in the first half and scored 10 points off turnovers to Jackson State's zero.

The Wildcats opened the second half on a 22-12 run to take a commanding 61-45 lead with 11:48 remaining in regulation, and cruised the rest of the way for a 74-63 victory. Northwestern outrebounded Jackson State 36-33, including a 21-13 advantage in the second half. The 'Cats are 7-0 when outrebounding their opponent this season.

Game Notes
» The Wildcats shot well from three point range, knocking down 10 of 25 long range attempts.
» The Northwestern defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Northwestern got a team-high seven rebounds from Brooks Barnhizer.
» The Wildcats won their first ever meeting on the hardwood with the Tigers.

Northwestern resumes Big Ten play on Tuesday, Jan. 2 when it travels to Champaign to face Illinois at 8 p.m. CT on BTN and ESPN 1000 WMVP.

This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.