LIVE GAME FEED: Eastern Illinois at Northwestern
Eastern Illinois Panthers at Northwestern Wildcats
Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena
Time: 7:00 PM CT
Watch: BTN+
Listen: WMVP 1000
It's opening night for Northwestern basketball as the Wildcats take on Eastern Illinois at home. Northwestern will look to get their season started right with a win in Welsh-Ryan Arena, but they'll have to do it without their top scorer redshirt junior guard Chase Audige who is out due to injury.
**Keep it here or @SIWildcatsDaily on Twitter for live updates from this morning's game!**
LIVE THREAD:
Northwestern Starting Five:
G- Boo Buie
G - Casey Simmons
G - Ty Berry
F - Pete Nance
F - Robbie Beran
Eastern Illinois Starting Five:
G - Keyjuan Clements
G - Elijah Wood
G - CJ Lane
G - Henry Abraham
F - Jermaine Hamlin
FIRST HALF
Abraham drains a three to give Panthers 5-0 lead.
Berry knocks down a fading midrange jumper to get the Wildcats on the board.
Buie makes tough floater over big to cut deficit to three, 7-4.
Freshman Casey Simmons knocks down two free throws to give Northwestern a 8-7 lead.
Berry converts a three while fouled, doesn't make the free throw, extends the lead 11-7.
Roper II makes a three-point shot off a pass from Buie to give the Wildcats a 14-7 lead.
Chris Robinson of Eastern Illinois makes a layup to make the score 19-12.
Ryan Young fields Elyjah Williams down low for the easy basket, 21-12.
Nance tips in a missed layup, 25-12 Northwestern.
Berry lobs it to Simmons for a layup, Wildcats up 27-12.
Clements scores a contested layup for the Panthers to make the score 27-14 Northwestern.
Beran slams home and-one dunk, converts free throw, 32-17.
Wood comes up with a steal off of Berry's pass and converts and-one layup, 32-19.
Lane makes a layup to cut the lead to 34-22.
Lane makes a three from the corner for the Panthers to make the score 34-25.
Young makes a spinning layup to give Northwestern the 40-29 lead heading into halftime.
Halftime: Northwestern 40 - Eastern Illinois 29
Nance makes jumper to open the half, Northwestern leads 42-29.
Nance doubles down with a three to increase Northwestern's lead to 45-33.
Williams scores in the paint to extend Northwestern's lead 52-34.
Williams hits a three from the corner to increase the Wildcats' lead to 11, 55-34.
Young knocks down two free throws, Northwestern leads 57-34.
Roper II converts a layup to give the Wildcats a 62-42 lead.
Hamlin makes a floater in the paint for Eastern Illinois to cut the deficit to 18, 62-44.
Berry hits pull-up midrange jumper to make the score 64-46.
Panthers guard Myles Baker makes euro-step layup to cut deficit to 16, 64-48.
Beran makes a three to extend Northwestern's lead, 70-48.
Berry makes a side-step midrange jumper to make the score 73-48 Northwestern.
Buie makes step back midrange jumper, 75-48.
Simmons knocks down two free throws, 79-50.
Lake makes floater in the lane for Eastern Illinois, 79-54.
Roper II converts one free throw, 80-54.
Schnyders makes two of three free throws, 80-56.
Final: Northwestern 80 - Eastern Illinois 56
Jonathan Fernandez is a reporter and writer for Wildcats Daily Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Fernandez is also pursuing his master's degree in sports media at Northwestern Medill.