Northwestern
10-2,1-0Big Ten
#9 Illinois
10-2,1-0Big Ten
Wildcats Fall at No. 9 Illinois
1/2/2024 10:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Northwestern fell 96-66 at No. 9 Illinois on Tuesday night at State Farm Center in Champaign. The Wildcats drop to 10-3 (1-1 B1G), splitting their first two Big Ten Conference games for the third straight season.
Boo Buie paced all Wildcat scorers with 20 points, reaching the 20-point mark for the seventh time this season. Luke Hunger added a career-high 10 points off the bench on 4-for-6 shooting and 2-for-3 from three-point range. Ty Berry chipped in 14 points and four rebounds in the effort.
How It Happened
Illinois scored the game's first seven points and never looked back, taking a 46-29 lead into halftime. Buie led all Wildcats with 13 points in the first frame.
The Fighting Illini (11-2, 2-0 B1G) stretched the lead to 75-42 before cruising to a 96-66 victory. The Wildcats shot 51.7% (15-of-29) from the field in the second half.
Game Notes
» Northwestern drops to 1-1 in Big Ten play for the third-consecutive season.» The 'Cats fall to 5-2 in their last seven games against ranked opponents.
» The Wildcats shot 50% from three-point range (8-for-16).
» Hunger tallied career highs in points (10), three-point field goals (2), field goals made (4), and minutes (18).
» Nick Martinelli chipped in seven points and a team-high five rebounds.
Northwestern returns home to Welsh-Ryan Arena to take on Michigan State on Sunday, Jan. 7, at 6:30 p.m. CT on BTN and WGN Radio 720.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
