Associated Press, November 24, 2017

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) Scottie Lindsey had 19 points, six rebounds and four assists, Vic Law added 15 points and Northwestern used a strong second half to pull away for an 81-50 victory over Sacred Heart on Friday night.

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Derek Pardon had 11 points and six rebounds and Gavin Skelly had 10 points.

Northwestern (4-2) won comfortably despite shooting 9 of 27 on 3-pointers in the game. Bryant McIntosh (nine points) was just 1 for 5 on 3-pointers.

The Wildcats held Sacred Heart to just 19 points on 6 of 18 shooting in the second half.

Joseph Lopez had 13 points to lead the Pioneers (2-4), but was just 2 for 11 from the free-throw line. Mario Matasovic added 11 points.

After leading 43-31 at halftime, the Wildcats opened the second half with a 16-6 run for a 59-37 advantage with 14 minutes to go. The closest Sacred Heart could get after that was 18.

THE BIG PICTURE

Sacred Heart: The Pioneers entered having won two straight – a 69-68 overtime win against Maine and an 84-60 win against Division III Mitchell – but the step up in class was too much to overcome. They managed to shoot 50 percent in the first half, but Northwestern's size advantage became more of a factor in the second.

Northwestern: After dropping two of the previous three games – including an 85-49 blowout loss to Texas Tech – this was a chance for the Wildcats to work on some issues before the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and the start of Big Ten play next week. The second half defense was the biggest plus of the performance.

UP NEXT

Sacred Heart: The Pioneers visit UMass-Lowell on Wednesday night.

Northwestern: The Wildcats visit Georgia Tech on Tuesday night as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.