“That's definitely something that our coaches emphasize,” Pratt said. “I know that these successful teams here in the past years have been really good at defense too, so I think that is kind of an identity that they are really trying to put forth for us, and it's just something that we try to take pride in.”
As Boston University mounted a second-half comeback attempt, Northwestern's captains, junior guard Angelo Ciaravino and West, helped close the door with 22 combined second-half points. The Wildcats' defense also held the Terriers scoreless over a 4:46 stretch from 6:56 to 2:10, all but extinguishing the resurgence.
“They've led the way since day one that we met as a team,” Collins said. “They've set the tone.”
Ciaravino finished with 14 points, including 10 in the second half. The 6-foot-6 guard also grabbed a team-high six rebounds and has led the Wildcats in rebounding in all three games this season.
Northwestern forced 19 turnovers while committing just five of its own, a season low. The Wildcats also held the Terriers to 30% shooting from 3-point range and just six fast-break points.
