Men’s Basketball

For the first time since 1938, Northwestern is 7-2 in the Big Ten.

The Wildcats (18-4, 7-2 Big Ten) rode an impeccable defensive performance and a big night from star guard Bryant McIntosh to a 68-55 win Sunday over Indiana (14-8, 4-5), extending their win streak to six.

McIntosh, a junior, turned in 21 points and eight assists as NU inched closer to what could be its first NCAA tournament appearance ever. Senior forward Sanjay Lumpkin added 15 points and sophomore forward Vic Law hauled in 12 rebounds.

In the first half, NU overcame a shaky start to erupt for one of its most dominant stretches of the season, holding Indiana to just 2 points in an eight-minute stretch while scoring 20 of its own. McIntosh gave his team the lead on a jumper midway through the period, then Lumpkin provided a fast-break slam dunk on the next possession as the tide turned.

With an electric crowd of 8,117 at Welsh-Ryan Arena in constant pandemonium, the Cats rode the momentum of that stretch to a decisive 35-23 halftime lead.

After the break, NU continued its stellar defensive performance and prevented the Hoosiers from ever responding with a run. The lead stayed between 10 and 18 for the remainder of the second half, and once Law stole the ball with the Cats leading by 12 with less than 90 seconds left on the clock, the outcome was fully decided.

Takeaways

1. Northwestern looks comfortable in big-game scenario

In front of a sellout crowd and an overcapacity student section, the Cats looked nervous in the opening minutes, missing their first seven field goals. Soon, however, Welsh-Ryan’s electricity began to work in the hosts’ favor and NU settled into a rhythm under the pressure.

Lumpkin and senior forward Nathan Taphorn, who was later injured, both contributed several buckets to the tone-setting 20-2 run. With the crowd’s vocal support, the Cats never surrendered the momentum.

2. Bryant McIntosh turns in another stellar performance

After an ugly miss on his first attempt of the night, McIntosh elevated his game yet again, dealing pinpoint passes left and right and making a team-leading number of seven shots, too.

The quarterback of NU’s offense sliced through pressure to make 7-of-13 shots from the field and 5-of-6 at the free throw line, also dishing out five assists in a 12-minute stretch during the first half.

3. The Wildcats’ defense is for real

NU entered Sunday with the best effective field goal percentage defense in the Big Ten and, up against one of their toughest tests of the season, did not falter. Though they forced the Cats into second half foul trouble, the Hoosiers frequently ran into Gothic jersey-clad congestion in the paint.

The visitors were held to just 17-of-53 shooting from the field and forced into 13 turnovers. Only two players in white — leading scorer Thomas Bryant (23 points) and Robert Johnson (12) — tallied more than 6 points on the night.

Stats

– Scottie Lindsey scored 12 points on 6-of-14 shooting
– Dererk Pardon: 7 rebounds
– Northwestern scored 17 transition points

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Twitter: @BenPope111