Northwestern Drops Thriller to Indiana, 68-66

12/1/2018 2:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Northwestern narrowly dropped its Big Ten opener to Indiana in a thrilling Saturday afternoon affair, 68-66. Senior center Dererk Pardon had a career game, finishing with a double-double on 24 points and 10 rebounds.

The game was tied 30 different times and neither team held a lead of more than five points for the entire contest.

Pardon's 24-point output was the second-largest scoring performance of his career, trailing only his 28-point total against Nebraska on Dec. 30, 2015.

Senior forward Vic Law continued his stretch of double-digit scoring games to start the year, finishing with 16 points, including a final-seconds three-pointer that kept NU's winning hopes alive. He logged nine rebounds, tying a season high.

The first half was a neck-and-neck affair, with Indiana holding a narrow, 37-33 lead after the first 20 minutes of play. It was a hot-shooting start to the game with both squads shooting north of 55 percent.

Pardon led the way for NU with 12 points in the first stanza on five-of-five shooting. The senior also added four rebounds, an assist, and a block.

Law and Pardon combined for 21 of NU's 33 points in the second half.

The Wildcats return home to battle No. 7 Michigan on December 4 at the new Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. CT.

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