Feb. 19, 2011

Box Score |  Quotes

WATCH: Game Highlights

Site: Bloomington, Ind. (Assembly Hall)
Score: Northwestern 70, Indiana 64
Records: NU (16-10, 6-9 Big Ten), Indiana (12-15, 3-11 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Thursday, Feb. 24 -- vs. Penn State (Welsh-Ryan Arena), 8 p.m.
Tickets: Available at NUsports.com or by calling 888-GO-PURPLE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Michael Thompson scored a game-high 22 points, including going a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line, as Northwestern fought off a second-half surge by Indiana to post a 70-64 win at Assembly Hall Saturday evening.

Thompson's effort from the line ranks as a tie for the third-best single-game performance in school history. John Shurna contributed 19 points as the Wildcats earned a season sweep of the Hoosiers for the second time in three years.

The teams battled back and forth throughout the opening 12 minutes of the contest with Indiana taking a 19-16 lead at the 8:43 mark on a basket by Jeremiah Rivers. That's when Thompson took the game over.

The senior point guard hit 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions to give Northwestern a 22-21 lead and he was just getting started. He scored 12 consecutive points for Northwestern over one stretch as the Wildcats went on a 14-3 run to help the visitors surge in front 30-22.

NU's lead would grow to as many as 12 on a late triple by Drew Crawford before eventually taking a 40-30 advantage into the break.

Indiana clamped down defensively on the Wildcats to open the second half and get back in the game. Northwestern managed just four points over the first seven-plus minutes following the intermission as the Hoosiers got to within 44-43.

The hosts eventually made it all the way back on a bucket by Derek Elston that tied the game 52-52 with 8:19 remaining. Shurna answered right back with his third 3-pointer of the game to give NU the lead back.

Indiana would tie the game again at 57, but two free throws by Thompson and a trey by Crawford pushed the Northwestern advantage back to five. The lead would grow to seven before the Hoosiers made one final push.

It was a six-point game when Jordan Hulls hit a triple with 1:12 left to make it 67-64. NU turned it over on the other end, but the Wildcats got a stop and Thompson hit on two from the charity stripe to make it 69-64 with 19 seconds remaining.

Northwestern got another big defensive stop and Alex Marcotullio, who had a big game off the bench with 11 points and four assists, hit one of two from the line to seal the victory.

The Wildcats finished 21 of 25 from the free throw line in the contest.

NU returns to action at 8 p.m. Thursday as it hosts Penn State at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tickets are available at NUsports.com or by calling 888-GO-PURPLE.

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