EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Boo Buie scored 21 points, Brooks Barnhizer added 20 points, seven rebounds and three steals and Northwestern blew a 12-point second-half lead before the Wildcats beat Western Michigan 63-59 Tuesday night.
Buie made 7 of 14 from the field, including three 3-pointers, and finished with five assists, two steals and no turnovers in 39 minutes.
JaVaughn Hannah hit a jumper, Brandon Muntu made a 3 and Titus Wright scored in the paint to cap a 7-1 surge for Western Michigan (0-3) that made it 54-all with 4:18 to play. Buie answered with a 3-pointer 17 seconds later to give the Wildcats the lead for good and followed with a jumper to give Northwestern (3-0) a five-point lead with 2:56 left.
Seth Hubbard hit a 3-pointer for the Broncos before Ryan Langborg made a jumper to make it 61-57 with 2 minutes remaining and the Broncos went 1 for 5 from the field with a turnover from there.
Hubbard, the only Western Michigan player to score in double figures, finished with 17 points on 7-of-21 shooting, 2 of 9 from 3-point range.
Barnhizer was fouled as he scored in the lane and hit a free throw to make it 17-16 with 8:38 left in the first half and Northwestern never again trailed. Barnhizer converted a three-point play with 3 seconds left in the first half, followed with another to open the second and then made a layup that gave the Wildcats their biggest lead of the game at 40-28 with 18:11 remaining.
UP NEXT
Western Michigan: The Broncos play at Ohio State on Sunday.
Northwestern: The Wildcats head to Uncasville, Connecticut, to play Rhode Island on Saturday at the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off.
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