Northwestern dominated on both ends of the court Monday at Welsh-Ryan Arena, routing Robert Morris (Ill.) 99-48 in its only exhibition contest before regular season play begins.
The Wildcats used a balanced attack to fluster the Eagles throughout the game. Senior guard Nick Fruendt posted a game-high 17 points, while five teammates joined him with double-digit scoring totals.
The lopsided result was expected against a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics opponent that lost six of its seven leading scorers from last season. More important than the outcome for NU was the performance of its versatile freshman class.
All three of NU’s freshmen managed to contribute. Point guard Dave Sobolewski guided the signature Princeton offense with a flourish, scoring 15 points in a memorable debut.
“Dave did a good job pushing it up,” coach Bill Carmody said. “I was just happy with the decisions he made.”
Fellow guard Tre Demps added 13 points and forward Mike Turner led all players with eight rebounds.
“The hardest thing for us three freshmen is picking up the offense,” Sobolewski said. “We still make mistakes with it, but we’re trying to hammer home the details.”
All-American candidate John Shurna scored eight early points, including a three-pointer from the top of the key, to give the Cats a 14-6 advantage just more than four minutes into the game. Robert Morris senior guard Diante Watkins connected on a deep three to bring the Eagles within four points, down 18-14.
NU responded with a 9-0 run, capped by an emphatic dunk from senior forward Davide Curletti. Then the Cats heated up from behind the arc.
“In the first half, we took six threes and made five. I like that fact,” Carmody said. “This is 2011. Everybody shoots the ball, whether you’re 5’10” or 6’10”.”
Once the Eagles fell behind, they forced up ill-advised shots that added to the Cats’ burgeoning momentum. Robert Morris made just 1-for-20 from beyond the arc in the first half, an indication of both its frantic play and of NU’s stout perimeter defense. The Eagles failed to score in the last 5 minutes and 31 seconds of the opening stanza, allowing the Cats to extend their lead to 49-20 before halftime.
Even with Shurna taking the entire second half off at Carmody’s discretion, NU maintained its intensity, particularly on defense. The Cats limited Watkins, the Eagles’ star player, to just eight points. The Eagles were plagued by 14 turnovers and frequent defensive lapses en route to a blowout defeat.
A late-game highlight came when Sobolewski, a relatively unheralded local recruit, received applause as he left the court with the game easily in hand. He made all three of his field goal attempts in an efficient turnover-free performance.
“The new guys and the older guys did a great job of team basketball,” Sobolewski said. “We got the ball to the open guy and knocked down shots.”
While there was a lot to cheer about in the NU locker room, there was also cause for concern. Sophomore guard JerShon Cobb and junior guards Drew Crawford and Alex Marcotullio were inactive due to injury.
“Obviously those guys are a huge part of our team,” Sobolewski said. “We’re hoping that our training staff gets them back on the floor as soon as they can.”
NU opens its regular season at home against Texas Pan-American on Sunday, hoping that its young core will once again rise to the occasion.
