Although it’s only three games into the season, the Northwestern men’s basketball team has reason to be smiling.

The Wildcats topped San Jose State 59-51 on Friday to take third place in the eight-team Black Coaches Association Invitational in Raleigh, N.C. NU is off to a 2-1 start for the second consecutive year.

NU senior forward Tavaras Hardy led the way with a double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Junior forward Winston Blake was NU’s leading scorer with 15 points, while sophomore guard Jitim Young followed close behind with 14.

San Jose State took a 5-4 lead early in the first half, but the Cats then blew the game open temporarily. NU went into halftime with a 29-21 lead.

While the Spartans managed to stay close early in the second half, NU used an 8-0 run to reassume control and take a 42-31 lead.

But San Jose State wouldn’t go away. The Spartans went on an 11-0 run of their own to tie the game with 9:41 remaining. While the Spartans hung with the Cats for the rest of the game, NU used a 7-0 run to widen the gap and stave off San Jose State.

NU was again strong from long range. The Cats connected on 40 percent of their shots from beyond the arc in the game. Blake was 3 of 7 from three-point range, while Croatian freshman Vedran Vukusic connected on both of his attempts.

Vukusic, a forward, was a perfect 7-for-7 from three-point land in the tournament, while the Cats shot better than 44 percent as a team.

The Cats also muscled their way inside. They outscored the Spartans 26-10 in the paint.

Much of NU’s trouble during the tournament came from turnovers, however. The Cats had 18 against Virginia Commonwealth and San Jose State, and 15 against East Carolina. These costly mistakes prevented the Cats from pulling away in any of last week’s games.

NU opens its home campaign against Chicago State on Saturday.