Coming off of its first win as a ranked team since 1969, Northwestern traveled to Phoenix to face Arizona State on Wednesday.
The Wildcats (9-2, 1-0 Big Ten) kept a solid lead throughout the game, holding the Sun Devils (6-5, 0-0 Pac-12) to 31% shooting from the floor. Graduate student guard Boo Buie led the squad with 22 points and reached 500 career assists, the third most in program history.
In its most dominant first half of the year, NU led 36-13, making over half of its field goals — and as many 3-pointers as Arizona State’s made shots. The ‘Cats capitalized on the Sun Devils’ poor shot selection and a strong start from senior guard Ty Berry, who contributed to a 7-0 run in the first 10 minutes.
Arizona State looked more energetic and aggressive in the second half but never got within 17 points of NU, as strong performances from Buie, Berry and junior guard Brooks Barnhizer carried the ‘Cats through to the buzzer.
Here are the three takeaways from Wednesday’s game:
1. Great ball-hawking and rebounding contrast with early-season issues
Coach Chris Collins has always emphasized the team’s scrappy, blue collar outlook, and NU leaned into its aggressiveness Wednesday night. The ‘Cats collected 41 rebounds and 27 in the first half alone, as many as the squad had in their entire game against Chicago State on Dec. 13.
Rebounding has been a major weakness for the ‘Cats this season, with the team getting outrebounded by Chicago State and DePaul in its two most recent games.
2. Berry gets out of his jam with a double-double
Berry struggled in NU’s last two games, with only three points against Chicago State and six against DePaul. He bounced back against Arizona State, with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the night.
Berry was 3-of-5 from behind the arc, and a beautiful shot from deep early on in the game led to the Sun Devils’ first timeout.
In many of the team’s biggest wins this season, Berry has been a major factor, with 21 points against Purdue and 16 against Detroit Mercy.
3. Guard depth continues to be a major strength for the ‘Cats
Buie, Berry, Barhnizer and graduate student guard Ryan Langborg are a difficult quartet to contend with. Their talent, high basketball IQ and toughness make them a huge asset for the Wildcats, who can benefit from a safety net as they work through inconsistencies.
Buie, Barnhizer and Berry shined against Arizona State as Langborg suffered from cold shooting, with only three points for the night. And in games where Berry fell behind, Langborg filled in, shooting 70% from deep this month.
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Twitter: @claireconner_
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