EVANSTON, Ill. – Facing the first of two scheduled Big Ten programs, the Boston University men’s basketball team fell at Northwestern, 76-52, on Friday night.
With their second wire-to-wire win of the week following a 70-47 victory over Mercyhurst, the Wildcats improve to 2-0, while the Terriers drop to 1-1. NU finished the contest shooting 51.7 percent from the field and held BU to 32.8 FG%.
Junior Michael McNair netted a career-high six 3-pointers en route to a game-high 20 points alongside five assists, while graduate student Malcolm Chimezie hauled in 10 rebounds. Freshmen Sam Hughes and Chance Gladden came off the bench combining for 17 points.
For the Wildcats, Nick Martinelli totaled 20 points with nine rebounds, and South Florida transfer Jayden Reid posted 17 points while dishing out eight assists against just one turnover. Cincinnati transfer Arrinten Page finished with seven points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After BU won the tip, Page swiped the ball away and fed Reid for a layup to spark a game-opening 19-4 run capped by Page’s layup at 10:18.
Facing a 22-7 deficit following Page’s 3-pointer, McNair netted back-to-back treys to pull within nine at 7:36.
However, the Wildcats responded with an 18-6 run over the next five minutes to pull away.
NU grabbed its largest lead at 60-30 on K.J. Windham’s 3-pointer with 12:53 remaining in regulation.
Freshman Sam Hughes netted back-to-back buckets from behind the arc to cut the deficit to 63-41 at 6:57, but BU was unable to mount a further comeback in defeat.
UP NEXT
BU will open the 14-game home slate against Brown on Wednesday, Nov. 12, with a 7 p.m. tip.
The Terriers will face the Bears for the first time dropping a 63-60 decision at Brown on Dec. 30, 1993.
Bears mark the first of four Ivy League opponents for BU, who will also face Columbia (road), Harvard (neutral) and Dartmouth (road).