By Andrew SimonThe Daily Northwestern
The Northwestern offense was suffering, scoring only 16 points in the first half against DePaul on Tuesday night. The Wildcats still were trying to adjust to life without Vedran Vukusic burying 3-pointers and Mohamed Hachad slashing to the rim for lay-ups.
Kevin Coble made those struggles disappear, at least for a few minutes.
The freshman forward exploded for seven points over a two-minute span to give NU its first lead of the game in a 49-39 win against DePaul.
“Coble’s burst was huge,” senior forward Tim Doyle said. “He came out and just set the tone for the second half.”
Coble scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting and took home the Waldo Fisher-Frank McGrath Award as the game’s MVP. He also contributed three rebounds in 25 minutes.
Despite playing in just his second collegiate game, Coble showed dynamic offensive ability, scoring three different ways in a span of four possessions.
“He can score,” coach Bill Carmody said. “He doesn’t know a lot of the other stuff. But at the end of the day, he can put the ball in the basket, and that’s pretty important stuff.”
After making a lay-up in the half’s opening minute, Coble’s run began with 17:49 to play with the score tied at 20. With senior center Vince Scott falling out of bounds, Coble positioned himself in the corner and took Scott’s pass. Without hesitation, he knocked down the 3-pointer to put NU ahead for the first time.
Less than a minute later, DePaul had pulled within one. But Coble drove past a defender and under the basket, finishing with a nifty reverse lay-up.
Coble was there again after DePaul tied the score on Karron Clarke’s 3-pointer. This time he showed off his post moves, backing down a defender before burying a turn-around jump hook just outside the key.
“I was just waiting for them to sag off me, and I took what the defense gave me,” Coble said. “I was able to take advantage of that in the second half.”
Although the Blue Demons tied the score on a couple of occasions, they never regained the lead after Coble’s outburst.
Still, Coble scored all of his points during a four minute span, showing he needs to find more consistency.
“It’s something that comes with experience,” sophomore guard Sterling Williams said. “He’s a talented guy and he’ll get better every day.”
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