Pete Nance scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Ty Berry added 17 points, and Northwestern broke away late in the second half to defeat New Orleans 83-67 on Tuesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston.
The game was tied 35-all at halftime before New Orleans opened the second half with a 9-2 run. Northwestern (3-0) regained the lead at 51-50 on a pair of free throws by Julian Roper near the 10-minute mark.
One tie and six lead changes later, Berry and Robbie Beran made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions, giving Northwestern a 66-59 lead at 5:36. Later, Beran, Berry and Boo Buie buried 3-pointers for a 78-65 lead with just under three minutes remaining.
Buie finished with 13 points and nine assists. Berry made five of the Wildcats’ 11 3-pointers.
Derek St. Hilaire scored 27 points to lead New Orleans (1-2). He is now averaging 22 points per game.
