Chase Audige had a game-high 19 points and Brooks Barnhizer scored a career-best 18 points off the bench as host Northwestern cruised past Illinois-Chicago 92-54 for its fourth straight win Tuesday in Evanston, Ill.
Barnhizer added career highs of eight rebounds and five assists while going 6 of 8 from the floor. Boo Buie had 16 points and five assists, Julian Roper II added 12 points and Robbie Beran scored 10.
Northwestern (9-2) posted a season high in points by shooting 51.4 percent. It got 56 points in the paint and outrebounded UIC 44-23.
It was the eighth time in 11 games that the Wildcats held their opponent below 60 points.
Toby Okani led the Flames (8-5) with 12 points. Filip Skobalj added nine, and leading scorer Jace Carter was held to eight points with a team-leading six boards and three assists.
UIC's Jaden Brownell knocked down a 3-pointer with 11:21 left in the first half to trim the score to 17-14 Northwestern. From there, the Wildcats scored seven straight points, the last five by Barnhizer, to grab their first double-digit lead.
That began an extended 21-4 stretch for Northwestern that created a 20-point advantage when Buie drove for a layup to make it 38-18 with 3:47 left. Audige's fastbreak dunk capped off the half to make it 42-21 Wildcats.
The Flames appeared ready to threaten in the second half when Steven Clay and Skobalj sank 3-pointers during the first three minutes. But Barnhizer made a layup to begin an 8-0 spurt and Northwestern was in control the rest of the way.
Barnhizer scored seven points of a 9-0 Wildcats run by making a trey and four free throws. The Wildcats doubled up UIC at 72-36, 78-39 and 86-43 down the stretch.
Northwestern has one more nonconference game scheduled for Dec. 29 against Brown. UIC will return to Missouri Valley play Dec. 28 against Illinois State.
--Field Level Media
Illinois-Chicago | Northwestern | |
Toby Okani 12 | Scoring | Chase Audige 19 |
Jace Carter 3 | Assists | Brooks Barnhizer 5 |
Jace Carter 6 | Rebounds | Brooks Barnhizer 8 |
Toby Okani 5 | Free Throws Made | Brooks Barnhizer 4 |
Toby Okani 1 | Steals | Ty Berry 3 |
Toby Okani 2 | Blocks | Brooks Barnhizer 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Illinois-Chicago | 54 | 38.6 | 8-24 | 12-19 | 12 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 21 |
Northwestern | 92 | 51.4 | 8-27 | 12-15 | 20 | 42 | 2 | 7 | 9 |