Men’s Basketball

Northwestern’s five starters combined to make just three field goals in a brutal first half against Rutgers.

So it was left to a backup, freshman guard Isiah Brown, to keep the Wildcats alive until the starters regained their senses after the break and ensured NU’s 69-60 victory.

Brown, a Seattle native, struggled to find a scoring rhythm despite aggressive shooting during the first months of his collegiate career, hitting just 30 percent from the field and committing one turnover every 11 minutes entering the Rutgers game.

On Thursday in New Jersey, however, Brown’s ever-present confidence was matched by efficiency — at least for one half. In the first frame, he shot 4-for-7 from the field for 11 points, equaling his third-highest full-game point output of the season.

Brown’s consistent offensive play contrasted strongly with the rest of the Cats’ lineup. Through the first 20 minutes, junior guard Bryant McIntosh missed all five of his shots, junior guard Scottie Lindsey made just 1-of-6 and sophomore forward Vic Law went 2-for-8.

“I thought they brought the fight to us in the first half,” coach Chris Collins said. “They had us out on the floor; they took us out our rhythm offensively. … Defensively I thought they were mashing us.”

Brown’s typical self returned after the break, and his 0-for-2 mark in the second half kept him at 11 points to the final whistle. But against a Scarlet Knights team that has won just one Big Ten game since the start of last season, the revivals of Law and Lindsey proved more than sufficient to earn the victory.

Thursday’s game could nonetheless be a noteworthy stepping stone for the highly touted freshman.

Brown demonstrated his pure basketball talent in high school, averaging 33.8 points per game his senior year and winning the Gatorade Player of the Year award in Washington. Once he adjusts to the pace and improved defending of the Big Ten game, that talent could turn heads on a national stage.

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