Northwestern demolishes UIC to win 4th straight

Chase Audige had a game-high 19 points and Brooks Barnhizer scored a career-best 18 points off the bench as host Northwestern cruised past Illinois-Chicago 92-54 for its fourth straight win Tuesday in Evanston, Ill.

Barnhizer added career highs of eight rebounds and five assists while going 6 of 8 from the floor. Boo Buie had 16 points and five assists, Julian Roper II added 12 points and Robbie Beran scored 10.

Northwestern (9-2) posted a season high in points by shooting 51.4 percent. It got 56 points in the paint and outrebounded UIC 44-23.

It was the eighth time in 11 games that the Wildcats held their opponent below 60 points.

Toby Okani led the Flames (8-5) with 12 points. Filip Skobalj added nine, and leading scorer Jace Carter was held to eight points with a team-leading six boards and three assists.

UIC's Jaden Brownell knocked down a 3-pointer with 11:21 left in the first half to trim the score to 17-14 Northwestern. From there, the Wildcats scored seven straight points, the last five by Barnhizer, to grab their first double-digit lead.

That began an extended 21-4 stretch for Northwestern that created a 20-point advantage when Buie drove for a layup to make it 38-18 with 3:47 left. Audige's fastbreak dunk capped off the half to make it 42-21 Wildcats.

The Flames appeared ready to threaten in the second half when Steven Clay and Skobalj sank 3-pointers during the first three minutes. But Barnhizer made a layup to begin an 8-0 spurt and Northwestern was in control the rest of the way.

Barnhizer scored seven points of a 9-0 Wildcats run by making a trey and four free throws. The Wildcats doubled up UIC at 72-36, 78-39 and 86-43 down the stretch.

Northwestern has one more nonconference game scheduled for Dec. 29 against Brown. UIC will return to Missouri Valley play Dec. 28 against Illinois State.