Published Nov 25, 2019
Northwestern dominates Bradley in Tip-Off opener
Louie Vaccher  •  WildcatReport
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Maybe all Northwestern needed was a change of scenery.

After up-and-down performances in their first four games at Welsh-Ryan Arena, the Wildcats went down to Florida and throttled Bradley, 78-51, at the Rocket Mortgage Ft. Myers Tip-Off in what was, by far, their most complete performance of the season.

Pat Spencer led the way for Northwestern with 23 points and eight assists, while Miller Kopp and Ryan Young added 13 apiece.

With the win, the Wildcats advance to the tournament final Wednesday to take on Pittsburgh, which beat Kansas State 63-59 in the opener.

Bradley jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the opening tip, prompting NU coach Chris Collins to call a timeout at the 18:04 mark and rip into his team. He should record what he said in the huddle because from that point on, it was all Northwestern.

The Wildcats immediately went on an 11-0 run over the next three minutes to take control of the game as the Braves missed five straight shots. Later in the half, they put together a 9-0 run to take a 32-17 lead and blow the game open. By halftime, Northwestern had a 39-21 advantage.

The Wildcats’ train just kept rolling in the second half as Bradley could get no closer than 17 points the rest of the way. They continued to build on their lead until it reached 30 on a 3-pointer by Robbie Beran with 34 seconds to go. Even fan favorite and co-captain Tino Malnati got into the game with a minute left.

Bradley, which came into the game with a 4-1 record and a win over a Radford team that beat Northwestern, shot just 33% for the game. The Braves had five starters averaging double-figures but only Elijah Charles (14 points) and Darrell Brown (13) could reach that mark against the Wildcats’ tenacious man-to-man defense.

Here are our takeaways from an eye-opening performance that raised Northwestern’s record to 3-2:


The Cats put on a clinic in the first half: After Collins’ fiery timeout, Northwestern completely dominated a senior-laden Bradley team, outscoring them by 24 points over the final 18 minutes of the half.

Spencer had 12 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds and, maybe more importantly, was in complete command on the floor. Kopp went 4-for-4 from the field, including three 3-pointers, and finished with 11 points.

The Wildcats were impressive in all phases. They held a 22-16 edge in rebounds, had 16 points in the paint and 15 on fast breaks as they pushed the tempo whenever possible. The defense was stifling, contesting every shot and not allowing Bradley penetration into the lane or any kind of rhythm.

For a team coming off of ugly losses to Merrimack and Radford, that half, which ended with the Wildcats holding an 18-point lead, was just what they needed to build some confidence.

The second half wasn’t so bad, either.


The Cats found their leader in Spencer: Northwestern has been rotating players at point guard through their first four games, much as they did last season. But Spencer, the grad transfer former lacrosse player from Loyola-Maryland, took charge of this one and showed off his full repertoire.

Spencer was running the offense as the primary ballhandler and was in attack mode throughout the game. He was getting into the lane at will off the dribble, and then finishing the play at the rim or dumping it off to a teammate in the paint. On one drive in the first half he found A.J. Turner for a 3-pointer. On another in the second, he got all the way to the basket and dumped it off to Young for an easy layup.

The Braves couldn’t lay off of Spencer, either, as he went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.

With four games under his belt, Spencer really exerted his will in this game, shooting a red-hot 9-for-12 from the floor. The Wildcats may have found their go-to guy.


The Cats' defense manned up: Northwestern played very little zone in this game, but its defense was “in the zone” against the Braves.

The Wildcats were active and aggressive, coming up with six steals, three blocks and a total of 21 points off of 14 Bradley turnovers. Bradley’s leading scorer, Browne, was unable to drive into the lane, shooting just 3 for 9 from the floor and finishing with just one assist. Nate Kennell, the Braves’ designated marksman, attempted just one shot in 20 minutes and missed it.

Northwestern also dominated the glass, holding a 40-26 rebounding edge and allowing just 3 second-chance points.


Good things happen when you make shots: This is the second time the Wildcats have shot better than 40% in a game this season. The first time, they beat Providence, a likely NCAA Tournament team. This time, they destroyed a Bradley squad expected to contend for the Missouri Valley Conference crown.

The Wildcats shot 52% (16 of 31) in the first half and 54% (14 of 26) in the second. After hitting less than 25% on 3s in their first four games, the Wildcats hit half (10 of 20) of their shots from long distance against the Braves. With Spencer getting penetration, the shooters were getting open looks on kick-outs to the perimeter.

Bradley is a far cry from Ohio State or Michigan State, and the Wildcats have been riding a rollercoaster all season, with two bad losses and, now, two impressive wins. But if they can shoot the ball with any kind of consistency, they may surprise some people in the Big Ten this season.