Pete Nance scored 18 points and host Northwestern rallied in the second half to pull away from New Orleans for an 83-67 win Tuesday night in Evanston, Ill.
Ty Berry added 17 points and Boo Buie had 13 for the Wildcats (3-0).
Derek St. Hilaire scored 27 points and Tyson Jackson scored 10 to lead the Privateers (1-2).
Buie’s layup gave Northwestern the lead for good with 6:46 remaining and started a 17-4 finishing run for the Wildcats.
Northwestern improved to 4-0 against New Orleans in the last six seasons, though this contest was the closest of the four. The Wildcats won the previous three meetings by an average of 30.3 points, having won 90-63 in 2015-16, 83-49 in 2016-17 and 82-52 in 2018-19.
The Privateers, who trailed by as many as nine points during the first half, scored the first four points of the second half to take a 41-35 lead.
Buie made a layup before New Orleans increased its lead to nine points.
The Wildcats scored eight straight points before St. Hilaire stopped the run by making two free throws.
Julian Roper II made two free throws to give Northwestern a one-point lead, then the lead changed six times and the score was tied before the Wildcats buried back-to-back 3-pointers.
The Privateers closed within three, but Northwestern scored nine straight to take control with a 75-63 with 3:37 left.
Nance’s 3-pointer gave Northwestern a 7-2 lead and Elyjah Williams’ 3-pointer increased it to 14-6.
The Wildcats led by eight again before St. Hilaire made three consecutive baskets to pull New Orleans within 19-17.
Buie extended the lead with a 3-pointer before Kmani Doughty answered with a 3-pointer.
Berry scored five points as Northwestern pushed the lead to 33-24.
The Privateers finished with a 13-2 run that gave them a 37-35 lead at halftime.
–Field Level Media
