Wildcats continue hot start to season Loyola 80, Grambling 64
A.J. Turner had to sit out a season after transferring from Boston College to Northwestern in 2017. On Friday night, he showed he was the player the Wildcats expected him to be.
Turner and Vic Law combined to score 27 points to lead Northwestern to its third consecutive win to start the season, 82-54 win over Binghamton at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
“A lot of time with transfers, it takes them a little time because they’ve been sitting a whole year,” coach Chris Collins said. “Every game he’s playing, he’s getting more comfortable and doing a really good job.”
Turner made all five of his free throws and scored 13 for the Wildcats (3-0).
“You wouldn’t think so, but taking a year off from the game and coming back, there’s stuff you have to pick up. You lose it when you don’t play in the game,” Turner said.
Law had 14 points despite playing only 22 minutes. He added five rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. He has ranked among Northwestern’s top two scorers in all three games. A surgery in the offseason corrected a lung problem, and the difference in his game is clear.
“I’m not surprised by it. That’s how Vic’s been all summer and fall. He’s gearing up because he knows this is his last go-around,” Collins said. “We’re in our new building, we’ve got a bunch of new guys, and he knows there’s a lot on his plate, to be our leader night in and night out.”
ESPN personalities Michael Wilbon, a Northwestern graduate, and Tony Kornheiser, a Binghamton grad, taped an episode of Pardon the Interruption before calling the game between their alma maters on ESPNews.
Cameron Krutwig, Clayton Custer and Marques Townes combined for 52 points on 20 of 30 shooting from the floor in the Ramblers’ rout at Gentile Arena.
Krutwig had 19 points on 8 of 10 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds for the Ramblers (3-1). Custer added 17 points, making 6 of 9 shots including 2 of 3 from threepoint range, with four assists and Townes chipped in with 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting. Cooper Kaifes came off the bench to score 10 as the Ramblers shot 58 percent from the field (26-for-45) on the night.
Loyola used a 14-0 second-half run to seal the victory.
Purdue 79, Davidson 58
Carsen Edwards had a teamhigh 29 points as the No. 23 Boilermakers reached the final of the Charleston Classic to face No. 16 Virginia Tech.
Edwards had six of Purdue’s 13 three-pointers. It was his fifth consecutive game with 20 or more points.
The Boilermakers (4-0) opened the second half with a 19-7 surge to break the game open. They are going for their third in-season tournament title in four years.