Northwestern overcame a tough shooting night to thump NIU, 63-46.

Robbie Beran led the scoring effort with 15 points, dropping 13 in the first half, and Ty Berry had his first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

NIU guard Keshawn Williams was the game's leading scorer with 19 points, but Northwestern executed very well defensively. The Wildcats forced 17 turnovers and held the Huskies to just 46 points on the night. Williams led the way, but he was 7-for-18 from the field and 0-for-5 beyond the arc.

The Wildcats had this game in hand from the tip. Read about our takeaways from their second win of the season:

Beran's development has left much to be desired for Northwestern fans who wanted the forward to step up, be proactive and fulfill his four-star potential. Two games into the season, it looks like Beran has picked up the gauntlet and accepted that challenge.

This is Boo Buie's offense, but Beran led the Wildcats in scoring for the second time this season. He poured in 13 points in the first half, leading Northwestern in field-goal attempts through the first frame. He finished with 15 points to again lead Northwestern's scoring efforts, as he did with 20 in the season opener.

In an otherwise brutal shooting night, Beran was efficient. He shot 5-for-10 from the field and 2-for-4 from three-point range, albeit only 3-for-6 at the free-throw line. His second half scoring was tamped down by a quick bout of foul trouble, and then the game was out of NIU's reach and the Wildcats went on cruise control.

Beran's scoring has been a welcome sight for a Northwestern team trying to replace the offensive production of transfers Pete Nance and Ryan Young. While Buie will probably lead the team in shots, as he did tonight, Beran has led the way on the scoreboard so far. This dynamic is unlikely to hold come conference play, but it is encouraging to see Beran taking initiative and being proactive on the offensive end.

It has been a fairly warm November, but the Wildcats were ice cold from just about everywhere on Friday night. Their shooting percentages were abysmal: 41.4% from the field, 22.7% from three and 58.8% from the line. Several players also struggled to find a rhythm.

Buie and Chase Audige, two players Northwestern will rely on to create shots against tougher non-conference opponents and come conference play, combined to shoot 7-for-24 from the field and 1-for-10 from beyond the arc.

Audige seemed especially frustrated. Head coach Chris Collins noted that Audige has been fighting through a back injury recently as he continues to search for the shooting touch he had his first year at Northwestern.

Audige and Buie both have a shoot-to-get-hot, shoot-to-stay-hot mentality that can take Northwestern out of some games, and bring them back into others. Regulating and riding that variance will be key to Northwestern finding wins later on in the season, and working through them against a MAC opponent is why these games are scheduled.

Berry has stepped up so far this year and delivered two quality performances.

A double-double from a 6-foot-3, 185-pound guard is unexpected to say the least, but there Berry was crashing the glass and pulling down 11 rebounds to go with his 11 points.

It is highly unlikely that this is the sign of a new normal, or even something that will be repeated again this season, but Berry's effort and play has been elevated early.

Last season, Berry split starts evenly with Julian Roper, who is a better defender but not the shooter Berry is. This season, Collins has given Berry starter minutes and he has responded well. Roper missed the opener with an undisclosed illness and played 16 minutes against NIU.

Berry has hit the ground running. If he is going to deliver a double-double and three steals a night, it may become his spot to lose.

The 31-point win over Chicago State saw 11 different Wildcats hit the hardwood, but Collins kept a tighter grip on the rotation in this 17-point win over NIU.

He played just eight players, and didn't give much to the bench players he sent out. Brooks Barnhizer, Matt Nicholson and Roper, the chosen three, played only 10, 15 and 16 minutes, respectively.

Roper served the role of sixth man against the Huskies, finishing with three points and an assist as he recovers.

"I didn't have any preconceived notions about how much he could play," Collins said. "He was able to give us 15 good minutes."

Nicholson likely would have gotten more run if he had avoided foul trouble, which continues to plague the junior big man. He picked up two quick fouls but was an interior force throughout the game. He had two blocks and several thunderous dunks, deterring NIU on both sides of the court.

It remains to be seen if Nicholson can carry his play over to games against tougher opponents, but you can only play your schedule, and so far he has done exactly what a 7-foot, 255-pound center should do: dominate smaller defenders on offense and protect the rim on defense.