Northwestern easy winner, moves into 2nd-place Big Ten tie
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) Chase Audige scored 24 points and Northwestern beat Minnesota 81-61 on Saturday for the Wildcats' third straight win.
Their 15th win matched last season's total for the Wildcats (15-5, 6-3) and moved them into a tie for second place in the Big Ten with Rutgers.
Audige shot 9 of 14 with three 3-pointers. Boo Buie had 21 points with eight assists. Robbie Beran added 14 points.
Jason Battle scored 20 points to lead the Golden Gophers (7-13, 1-9), who have lost five straight. Ta'Lon Cooper added 12 points. Minnesota was without leading scorer and rebounder Dawson Garcia for the second straight game. Garcia has a bone bruise in his right foot. Pharrel Payne returned from concussion protocol and started after missing Wednesday's loss to Indiana.
Northwestern led 45-28 at halftime after shooting 55% outscoring the Gophers 14-3 off 11 Minnesota turnovers with Audige leading the way with 15 points.
Northwestern led by as many as 25 in the second half after an Audige 3-pointer with seven minutes remaining. The Wildcats finished 52% shooting, made 9 of 20 3-point attempts and had just four turnovers to 15 for Minnesota.
Minnesota had a four-point lead six minutes into the game before Northwestern outscored the Gophers 29-7 over the next nine minutes, including eight straight points by Audige.
Northwestern plays at Iowa on Tuesday. Minnesota is at Rutgers on Wednesday.
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 |  | Pharrel Payne vs. Matthew Nicholson (Golden Gophers gains possession) | ||
| 19:36 |  | +2 | Taurus Samuels makes two point layup | 2-0 |
| 19:23 | | Robbie Beran misses two point jump shot | ||
| 19:21 | | Joshua Ola-Joseph defensive rebound | ||
| 18:59 | | Joshua Ola-Joseph turnover (double dribble) | ||
| 18:38 | | +2 | Chase Audige makes two point jump shot (Boo Buie assists) | 2-2 |
| 18:17 | | Chase Audige blocks Jamison Battle's two point jump shot | ||
| 18:15 | | Chase Audige defensive rebound | ||
| 18:12 | | Jamison Battle personal foul | ||
| 18:03 | | Boo Buie misses two point jump shot | ||
| 18:01 | | Pharrel Payne defensive rebound | ||
| 17:53 | | Pharrel Payne turnover (lost ball) (Robbie Beran steals) | ||
| 17:34 | | Matthew Nicholson turnover (offensive goaltending) | ||
| 17:15 | | +3 | Ta'Lon Cooper makes three point jump shot (Jamison Battle assists) | 5-2 |
| 16:55 | | Boo Buie misses three point jump shot | ||
| 16:53 | | Joshua Ola-Joseph defensive rebound | ||
| 16:40 | | +2 | Pharrel Payne makes two point layup (Ta'Lon Cooper assists) | 7-2 |
| 16:22 | | +3 | Robbie Beran makes three point jump shot (Ty Berry assists) | 7-5 |
| 15:50 | | Ta'Lon Cooper misses three point jump shot | ||
| 15:48 | | Joshua Ola-Joseph offensive rebound | ||
| 15:44 | | Tydus Verhoeven blocks Joshua Ola-Joseph's two point jump shot | ||
| 15:42 | | Chase Audige defensive rebound | ||
| 15:27 | | Ty Berry misses three point jump shot | ||
| 15:25 | | Taurus Samuels defensive rebound | ||
| 15:17 | | +2 | Jamison Battle makes two point jump shot (Taurus Samuels assists) | 9-5 |
| 14:59 | | TV timeout | ||
| 14:44 | | +2 | Boo Buie makes two point jump shot | 9-7 |
| 14:27 | | Tydus Verhoeven personal foul | ||
| 14:10 | | +2 | Joshua Ola-Joseph makes two point jump shot (Jaden Henley assists) | 11-7 |
| 13:54 | | +3 | Ty Berry makes three point jump shot (Boo Buie assists) | 11-10 |
| 13:39 | | Ta'Lon Cooper turnover (traveling) | ||
| 13:27 | | +2 | Chase Audige makes two point layup (Brooks Barnhizer assists) | 11-12 |
| 13:12 | | Joshua Ola-Joseph turnover (lost ball) (Tydus Verhoeven steals) | ||
| 12:57 | | Joshua Ola-Joseph blocks Tydus Verhoeven's two point dunk | ||
| 12:55 | | Joshua Ola-Joseph defensive rebound | ||
| 12:46 | | Treyton Thompson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 12:44 | | Tydus Verhoeven defensive rebound | ||
| 12:26 | | +3 | Chase Audige makes three point jump shot (Boo Buie assists) | 11-15 |
| 12:05 | | Ta'Lon Cooper turnover (lost ball) | ||
| 11:57 | | Ta'Lon Cooper shooting foul (Chase Audige draws the foul) | ||
| 11:57 | | TV timeout | ||
| 11:57 | | +1 | Chase Audige makes regular free throw 1 of 3 | 11-16 |
| 11:57 | | +1 | Chase Audige makes regular free throw 2 of 3 | 11-17 |
| 11:57 | | +1 | Chase Audige makes regular free throw 3 of 3 | 11-18 |
| 11:41 | | Pharrel Payne turnover (traveling) | ||
| 11:31 | | Chase Audige misses two point layup | ||
| 11:29 | | Pharrel Payne defensive rebound | ||
| 11:00 | | Treyton Thompson misses two point hook shot | ||
| 10:58 | | Treyton Thompson offensive rebound | ||
| 10:56 | | Brooks Barnhizer shooting foul (Treyton Thompson draws the foul) | ||
| 10:56 | | +1 | Treyton Thompson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 12-18 |
| 10:56 | | +1 | Treyton Thompson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 13-18 |
| 10:46 | | +3 | Robbie Beran makes three point jump shot (Boo Buie assists) | 13-21 |
| 10:32 | | Jaden Henley offensive foul | ||
| 10:32 | | Jaden Henley turnover (offensive foul) | ||
| 10:17 | | Chase Audige turnover (lost ball) | ||
| 9:57 | | Ty Berry shooting foul (Jaden Henley draws the foul) | ||
| 9:57 | | Jaden Henley misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 9:57 | | Jaden Henley misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | ||
| 9:57 | | Tydus Verhoeven defensive rebound | ||
| 9:42 | | +2 | Brooks Barnhizer makes two point layup (Boo Buie assists) | 13-23 |
| 9:23 | | Tydus Verhoeven blocks Jaden Henley's two point layup | ||
| 9:21 | | Treyton Thompson offensive rebound | ||
| 9:15 | | +2 | Treyton Thompson makes two point layup | 15-23 |
| 9:05 | | Brooks Barnhizer misses two point jump shot | ||
| 9:03 | | Nick Martinelli offensive rebound | ||
| 9:02 | | Pharrel Payne shooting foul (Nick Martinelli draws the foul) | ||
| 9:02 | | +1 | Nick Martinelli makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 15-24 |
| 9:02 | | +1 | Nick Martinelli makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 15-25 |
| 8:46 | | Joshua Ola-Joseph misses two point jump shot | ||
| 8:44 | | Tydus Verhoeven defensive rebound | ||
| 8:37 | | Brooks Barnhizer misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:35 | | Taurus Samuels defensive rebound | ||
| 8:15 | | Tydus Verhoeven blocks Joshua Ola-Joseph's two point layup | ||
| 8:13 | | Brooks Barnhizer defensive rebound | ||
| 8:03 | | Ty Berry misses two point jump shot | ||
| 8:01 | | Nick Martinelli offensive rebound | ||
| 7:56 | | Nick Martinelli turnover (lost ball) (Taurus Samuels steals) | ||
| 7:33 | | Jamison Battle misses three point jump shot | ||
| 7:31 | | Nick Martinelli defensive rebound | ||
| 7:11 | | +2 | Boo Buie makes two point jump shot (Ty Berry assists) | 15-27 |
| 6:45 | | +3 | Jamison Battle makes three point jump shot (Ta'Lon Cooper assists) | 18-27 |
| 6:41 | | Wildcats 30 second timeout | ||
| 6:41 | | TV timeout | ||
| 6:29 | | +2 | Matthew Nicholson makes two point alley-oop dunk (Boo Buie assists) | 18-29 |
| 6:12 | | Matthew Nicholson blocks Pharrel Payne's two point layup | ||
| 6:10 | | Golden Gophers offensive rebound | ||
| 6:07 | | Ta'Lon Cooper turnover (lost ball) (Boo Buie steals) | ||
| 6:01 | | +2 | Boo Buie makes two point layup | 18-31 |
| 5:46 | | Pharrel Payne turnover (bad pass) (Brooks Barnhizer steals) | ||
| 5:45 | | Ta'Lon Cooper personal foul | ||
| 5:35 | | +3 | Boo Buie makes three point jump shot | 18-34 |
| 5:18 | | Pharrel Payne turnover (bad pass) (Chase Audige steals) | ||
| 5:17 | | Joshua Ola-Joseph personal foul | ||
| 5:17 | | Golden Gophers 30 second timeout | ||
| 5:03 | | Matthew Nicholson misses two point layup | ||
| 5:01 | | Brooks Barnhizer offensive rebound | ||
| 4:57 | | +2 | Brooks Barnhizer makes two point layup | 18-36 |
| 4:42 | | Matthew Nicholson personal foul | ||
| 4:42 | | Golden Gophers turnover (5-second violation) | ||
| 4:28 | | Boo Buie misses two point jump shot | ||
| 4:26 | | Jaden Henley defensive rebound | ||
| 4:14 | | Ty Berry shooting foul (Jaden Henley draws the foul) | ||
| 4:14 | | +1 | Jaden Henley makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 19-36 |
| 4:14 | | Jaden Henley misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | ||
| 4:14 | | Brooks Barnhizer defensive rebound | ||
| 3:55 | | +2 | Tydus Verhoeven makes two point dunk (Chase Audige assists) | 19-38 |
| 3:38 | | Tydus Verhoeven personal foul | ||
| 3:38 | | TV timeout | ||
| 3:30 | | +2 | Jamison Battle makes two point layup | 21-38 |
| 3:08 | | +2 | Chase Audige makes two point jump shot | 21-40 |
| 2:46 | | +3 | Taurus Samuels makes three point jump shot (Treyton Thompson assists) | 24-40 |
| 2:18 | | +3 | Chase Audige makes three point jump shot | 24-43 |
| 1:49 | | Jamison Battle misses three point jump shot | ||
| 1:47 | | Boo Buie defensive rebound | ||
| 1:24 | | Boo Buie misses two point layup | ||
| 1:22 | | Will Ramberg defensive rebound | ||
| 1:10 | | Boo Buie shooting foul (Jamison Battle draws the foul) | ||
| 1:10 | | +1 | Jamison Battle makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 25-43 |
| 1:10 | | +1 | Jamison Battle makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 26-43 |
| 0:50 | | Chase Audige misses three point jump shot | ||
| 0:48 | | Nick Martinelli offensive rebound | ||
| 0:42 | | Pharrel Payne personal foul (Matthew Nicholson draws the foul) | ||
| 0:42 | | Matthew Nicholson misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | ||
| 0:42 | | Will Ramberg defensive rebound | ||
| 0:28 | | +2 | Will Ramberg makes two point layup (Jaden Henley assists) | 28-43 |
| 0:06 | | Will Ramberg shooting foul (Matthew Nicholson draws the foul) | ||
| 0:06 | | +1 | Matthew Nicholson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 28-44 |
| 0:06 | | +1 | Matthew Nicholson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 28-45 |
| 0:02 | | Jaden Henley misses two point layup | ||
| 0:00 | | Brooks Barnhizer defensive rebound | ||
| 0:00 | | End of period |