'Cats Close Out Nonconference Slate vs. Loyola on Sunday

12/26/2015 9:40:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Northwestern looks for ninth straight win

By: Nick Brilowski

NORTHWESTERN BASKETBALL: GAME DAY INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	BROADCAST	LIVE STATS
Sun., Dec. 27	Loyola (Md.)	7 p.m.	Welsh-Ryan Arena	BTN and BTN2GO	SIDEARM
ESPN 1000, Sirius 84, XM 84: Dave Eanet and Joey Meyer BTN: Jeff Levering and Stephen Bardo Social: Twitter (@NUMensBball and @NU_SportsLIVE) \| Instagram (@numensbball) \| Facebook Game Notes: Northwestern

PURCHASE TICKETS

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern winds the nonconference portion of its season to a close Sunday as it hosts Loyola (Md.) at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Northwestern is off to its best start to a season since it also opened the 1982-83 campaign with an 11-1 mark. With a victory Sunday, the Wildcats would match their best 13-game start to a season in school history. Northwestern opened its 1930-31 season 12-1 on its way to a 16-1 season and a Big Ten championship.

Entering Sunday's game, NU has won 12 straight home games which matches the school record previously achieved from 1933 through 1934.

A victory over Loyola would allow the Wildcats to tie the school record for regular-season wins against nonconference opponents. The 2009-10 posted 12 regular-season victories against non-Big Ten foes.

Northwestern is coming off a 103-67 victory over Sacred Heart on Monday. Alex Olah scored a team-high 21 points and surpassed 1,000 for his career. Tre Demps added 17 points while Bryant McIntosh dished out a career-best 10 assists. The Wildcats handed out 30 assists in the game on their 36 field goals and shot a season-best 61 percent from the field. Northwestern knocked down 15 3-pointers—matching a season high—including 10 in the second half.

Northwestern's win over Sacred Heart was noteworthy on many levels:
• 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 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.
• The team's .610 field goal percentage was its best since shooting 64.6 percent in a win over Georgia Tech on Nov. 30, 2010.
• Bryant McIntosh became 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 ranks third in the nation and first in the Big Ten with a 1.88 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Wildcats have dished out 235 assists while committing only 125 turnovers through their first 11 games. Over the last five games, the mark is an impressive 2.57 (113 assists, 44 turnovers). NU's average of 19.6 assists per game ranks seventh nationally and second in the conference. Bryant McIntosh is averaging 6.8 assists per game to rank 13th in the nation. He has handed out at least eight assists in a game six times this season.

The Wildcats third in the Big Ten and 19th in the nation with an average of 10.2 3-point field goals per game. NU posted a season-high 15 triples against Chicago State on Dec. 13 and hit the mark again on Dec. 21 vs. Sacred Heart. The mark ranks as a tie for the fourth-best single-game total in school history. Five different Wildcats have hit at least 16 3-pointers this year.

Scouting Loyola (Md.)
The Greyhounds fell to 1-9 after dropping a 94-88 heartbreaker in overtime at Fairfield on Tuesday. It was the team's second overtime loss of the season. Chancellor Barnard paced five Loyola players in double figures with 17 points. Jarred Jones leads the team with averages of 14.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. G.G. Smith is in his third season as the head coach of the Greyhounds.