Unlike its performance in the season-opening 79-57 win over UMass Lowell, Northwestern got off to a good start. Also unlike the game against the River Hawks, the Wildcats struggled mightily in the second half. Eventually, it came down to Bryant McIntosh posting 20 points to help the hosts hold on by seven, 79-72.
The Stags hung tough for much of the first half despite the hot start from the Wildcats, keeping the deficit to single digits for almost all of the first twenty minutes, getting as close as five, but the Wildcats finished the half on a 10-5 run to push their lead at halftime to 10, 39-29.