EVANSTON, Ill. - The Northwestern men?s basketball team opened the 1999-2000 campaign with a 55-47 win over Chicago State at Welsh-Ryan Arena Tuesday night. It was the first time the Wildcats won their opening game in the three-year tenure of head coach Kevin O?Neill.
Sophomore Steve Lepore (North Olmsted, Ohio/St. Edward) led the way for Northwestern with 14 points.
Starting two freshmen and three sophomores, Northwestern shot just 34 percent from the floor in the first half. The ?Cats jumped out to a 21-13 lead on a Lepore jumper, but the Cougars responded by scoring 12 of the last 16 points in the half to tie the game at 25 at the intermission.
Northwestern?s defense was the story of the second half, limiting the visitors to just seven field goals and 27 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes. The offense came around over the final five minutes, as freshman Brody Deren (Harlan, Iowa/Harlan Community) scored six of his nine points in a decisive 8-0 run which gave Northwestern its largest lead, 52-43, with 1:17 left.
Freshman Ben Johnson (Minneapolis, Minn./De La Salle) scored 12 points and sophomore David Newman (Des Moines, Iowa/Hoover) added 11 for the Wildcats. Jermaine Hicks led the Cougars with 16.
NU will play in the Hoop and Quill Classic this weekend in St. Louis, Mo. The Wildcats will meet Evansville Friday afternoon in the first round.