#B1GCats Roll Past Sacred Heart, 103-67

12/21/2015 7:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Olah scores a team-high 21 points, surpasses 1,000 for his career

EVANTSON, Ill. (AP) -- Once Northwestern's shooters found their touch, there was just no stopping them.

Alex Olah scored 21 points, Tre Demps added 17, and the Wildcats pulled away from Sacred Heart 103-67 on Monday night for their eighth straight win.

Scottie Lindsey and Nathan Taphorn each added 11 points as Northwestern (11-1) set a season high for scoring by shooting 61 percent (36 for 59) from the floor. That included going 15 for 29 from 3-point range -- 10 of 17 in the second half.

"We know we've got the offense," Olah said. "We have weapons all over the court.

"If you stop one guy, there will be another guy who can shoot and make the basket."

Olah became the 33rd player in Northwestern history to record more than 1,000 points in his career. He entered with 996.

But the best stat for Northwestern coach Chris Collins might have been how his team handled the ball in this one. The Wildcats committed only 10 turnovers and had 30 assists on their 36 made baskets.

"Offensively, I loved the way we shared the ball," Collins said. "I think at least all nine of our guys (who played) scored at least seven points, which shows a collective effort."

Cane Broome had a game-high 26 points and Quincy McKnight added 15 for Sacred Heart (1-9), which dropped its ninth straight following a season-opening win over Quinnipiac. The Pioneers shot 40 percent (22 of 55).

"You've got to tip your hat to them," Sacred Heart coach Anthony Latina said. "That could be one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country."

Northwestern suffered its lone loss to current-No. 7 North Carolina on Nov. 23. Coming off a 78-70 overtime win over crosstown rival DePaul on Saturday, the Wildcats took charge of this one late in the first half, then blew it open with a 23-5 run in the second.

Northwestern led 48-32 at the half and trailed only once in the opening 20 minutes at 4-2.

Both teams went cold from floor during a scoring lull midway through the opening half, but Northwestern pulled out of it and went ahead. Sacred Heart had a dry spell of just over four minutes, while Northwestern got back on track and outscored the Pioneers 16-2 in one run.

Northwestern ended up outshooting Sacred Heart 55.6 to 39.3 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.

Olah was a force from underneath in the first half, connecting for 15 points and pulling in four of his five rebounds.

Northwestern outscored Sacred Heart 55-35 in the final 20 minutes.

Demps picked up his shooting in the second half and hit 4 of 8 3-pointers for the game. Lindsey and Taphorn also joined Northwestern's 21 for 32 (65.6 percent) second-half shooting party as the Wildcats turned the game into a rout.

Northwestern Notes vs. Sacred Heart - Dec. 21, 2015
• Northwestern improves to 11-1 for the first time since the 1982-83 season.
• This was the first all-time meeting between Northwestern and Sacred Heart. The Wildcats are now 11-0 all-time against current members of the Northeast Conference.
• Alex Olah scored a team-high 21 points and became the 33rd Northwestern player all-time to score 1,000 points in his career. Olah reached the milestone 1:51 into the contest.
• Bryant McIntosh dished out a career-high 10 assists in the contest. He entered the game ranked 17th nationally with an average of 6.5 assists per contest. It was the sixth time this season that he has handed out eight or more assists in a game. He is the first Northwestern player with 10 or more assists in a game since Michael Thompson had 10 vs. Penn State on Jan. 2, 2008.
• Northwestern assisted on 30 of its 36 field goals in the contest. The 30 assists were the most by the team in a game since it had 30 vs. Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 2, 2011. The total ranks as a tie for the second-best single-game effort in school history. The school record is 32 assists vs. Benedictine (Ill.) on Nov. 20, 2007.
• The Wildcats entered the game sixth in the nation with a 1.78 assist-to-turnover ratio. That mark grew to 1.88 with 30 assists and only 10 turnovers on Monday.
• The Wildcats' 103 points were their most in a game since a 103-94 double-overtime win over Dartmouth on Dec. 29, 1990 and ranks as a tie for the 10th-best single-game output in school history. It is the second time that Northwestern has scored 100 points in a game in Chris Collins' three seasons as head coach.
• Northwestern shot a season-best 61.0 percent (36-59) from the field in the contest. It is the best field goal percentage by the Wildcats in a game since shooting 64.6 percent in a win over Georgia Tech on Nov. 30, 2010.
• A pair of brothers went head-to-head in the matchup as Northwestern freshman forward Aaron Falzon square off against Sacred Heart senior forward Tevin Falzon. Aaron finished with 9 points and 2 assists, while Tevin posted 9 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
• Nathan Taphorn pulled down a team-high and career-high 6 rebounds in the game. It total topped his previous best of 5 accomplished twice this season.
• Freshman Jordan Ash scored a career-high 10 points, besting his previous high of 8 vs. Chicago State on Dec. 13.