If you blinked, you might have missed Arizona State's chances in this one.
Northwestern smothered the Sun Devils from the get-go, amassing a commanding 36-13 halftime lead and never looking back on their way to a 65-46 win in in the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Series in Phoenix.
The game may have tipped off in Arizona State's backyard in the Valley of the Sun, but it was the Wildcats who were scorching hot.
Boo Buie posted an effortless 22 points, Brooks Barnhizer rallied from two rough shooting games to post 16 on 7-for-13 shooting from the field and Ty Berry bounced back with 12 on 3-for-5 from three.
Unlike against Rhode Island, where the Cats leapt out to a 22-2 lead then almost entirely squandered it by the half, the Wildcats rode their halftime lead to a comfortable win. Arizona State took the second half with a narrow 33-29 margin, but never got within 15 points of the lead after falling behind 27-12 with 5:31 left in the first half.
Similar to the DePaul game, the Wildcats' usually dominant turnover margin was closer to a stalemate. A second-half press from the Sun Devils threw a few kinks in Northwestern's previously seamless offensive operation, and they ended up turning the ball over 12 times to Arizona State's 10.
But, just like DePaul, a game where they also allowed just 46 points, the brutal shooting from their opponent made that immaterial.
Arizona State guard Frankie Collins was the only Sun Devil to crack double digits, and he led them with 10 points. Northwestern's defense smothered the Sun Devils, forcing anemic splits of 31% from the floor, 17% from three and even 61% from the line.
Here are our takeaways from the win that lifted Northwestern's record to 8-2 (1-0 Big Ten):
Don't take Boo Buie for granted: Buie had another sublime outing in what is becoming a season full of them.
It was a ho-hum night for Buie, who played as expected in his fifth year in Evanston, with 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting from the floor and 4-for-8 from three, with one of them coming with his heels grazing the mid-court logo. He also committed just two turnovers.
Buie chipped in three assists, good enough to become the third player in Northwestern history to record 500 assists.
Whenever Arizona State seemed to even think about whittling down or chipping away at the lead, there Buie was, slashing to the basket, drawing contact, finding the open hand or knocking one down from deep.
His array of shots and decision-making makes him one of the best players in the country right now, and certainly one of the best to ever wear purple. This has the makings of a special season from Northwestern's floor general: don't take it for granted.
Northwestern has rebounded from Chicago State: After a brutal home loss that cast long shadows on this team's performance and postseason chances, the Wildcats responded with a 10-point true road win at DePaul, and a dominant 19-point blowout at a 'neutral site' in Phoenix over Arizona State.
It was exactly the kind of win the Wildcats needed. This team was reeling after a home loss where it seemed to expect their opponents to roll over down the stretch in the face of their AP Top 25 ranking. No such luck. Many teams, and many teams throughout Northwestern history, would have let that game sour their entire December, maybe their whole season.
Not these Wildcats. They rolled up their sleeves and won a grueling game in the mud at DePaul, 56-46. Then, they turned around, flew out to Phoenix, and earned head coach Chris Collins heaps of bragging rights over Arizona State head coach and former Duke teammate Bobby Hurley with an impressive drubbing.
The Sun Devils are struggling mightily and have lost three straight, and lord knows the Blue Demons are not a very good team, either. But the Wildcats are still taking care of business, and that's the meaning of the season.
The Wildcats get eight days off before they face Jackson State, back home at Welsh-Ryan Arena, for their final non-conference game.
Looking back at the out-of-conference schedule, the Wildcats' loss to Mississippi State looks solid, even as the Bulldogs have found their own non-con struggles and hit 9-2. Chicago State is guaranteed to be a major blemish on the Wildcats' resume, but the Cougars have clawed their way to four straight wins and sit at 7-9.
More importantly, the Wildcats have hit their record by beating three name brands: Dayton, Rhode Island and now Arizona State. There's no doubt CSU will sting this year, and for a long time afterwards, but it's not the backbreaker it once seemed. The Wildcats are alive and well, with all to play for, as the new year, and Big Ten play, looms.
