Ty Berry scored 20 points and Ryan Langborg added 17 points as host Northwestern defeated Jackson State 74-63 on Friday in Evanston, Ill., to stretch its winning streak to three games.
Northwestern (10-2) capped the nonconference portion of its schedule in the team’s first game at Welsh-Ryan Arena since a stunning loss to visiting Chicago State on Dec. 13.
Boo Buie chipped in 12 points for the Wildcats, who finished plus-three on the glass while netting 21 assists on 27 made field goals.
Jackson State’s Ken Evans Jr. led all scorers with 23 points, while Chase Adams followed with 13 and a game-high six assists.
Northwestern limited Jackson State (4-9) to 41.4 percent shooting. Evans sparked the Tigers’ 47.4 percent showing from deep by going 5-for-7 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Jackson State showed resiliency in the early going. After watching Langborg connect for three 3-pointers in the game’s first 2:15, the Tigers responded with a 10-0 run that featured five points from Adams.
Jordan O’Neal hit a layup on the first possession of the second half to bring the Tigers within four points, but they came no closer as Jackson State lost for the third time in five games.
Zeke Cook had seven rebounds for the Tigers, who trailed by as many as 16. Brooks Barnhizer had seven rebounds for Northwestern, while Matthew Nicholson and Berry each had six.
Northwestern took a 39-33 lead into halftime behind Langborg (12 points) and Berry (11). Both Wildcats swished three 3-pointers in the first half.
Jackson State fell behind 36-26 on a Berry 3-pointer with 4:06 remaining in the first half, but the Tigers crept closer by limiting the Wildcats to just three free throws before the break.
Evans and Adams both scored 11 first-half points for the Tigers.
Friday ended a season-opening stretch of 13 straight road or neutral-site games for Jackson State. The Tigers are set to meet Alcorn State in their home opener on Jan. 6.
–Field Level Media