Pepperdine @ Northwestern preview
Welsh-Ryan Arena
Aiming to extend its winning streak to four, Northwestern closes out its homestand when it faces Pepperdine on Friday night in Evanston, Ill.
The Wildcats began the week with a come-from-behind victory against Montana State, 72-69. Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer had 20 points and 10 rebounds in his first game this season since returning from a foot injury. Forward Nick Martinelli guided Northwestern's scoring attack with a game-high 22 points and seven rebounds to preserve the win.
According to coach Chris Collins, Northwestern (4-1) showed resiliency. The Wildcats nearly had their second straight overtime game, but the Bobcats missed a 3-pointer at the horn.
"It was kind of the second straight game where we had a lot of game pressure on us, and the real positive is that our guys responded," Collins said. "We were able to get stops when we needed them."
Collins said he was happy to have Barnhizer 100 percent healthy again, as he and Martinelli reached an early-season landmark: scoring at least 20 points in the same game.
"(Having Barnhizer back) means a lot," Collins said. "He's one of the best players in the country. ... He's such a fierce competitor. His energy, how hard he plays, his physicality, his leadership and his voice -- we haven't had that. We've had it from the sideline, but it's different."
Barnhizer said he felt his confidence returning once he took the floor and regained his form on both sides of the ball.
"I missed it a lot. To be out there with the guys, being able to go to war with them, is just fun," Barnhizer said. "I'm glad to be back out there."
Pepperdine (1-3) makes a quick turnaround after falling to UNLV 80-59 in Las Vegas on Wednesday night. Its lone win came against Western Illinois, 77-64, led by forward Stefan Todorovic's 25 points Nov. 6. The victory was Ed Schilling's first as coach since he succeeded Lorenzo Romar.
--Field Level Media