Northwestern Defeats Brown 63-42
EVANSTON (AP) -- Dave Sobolewski scored 14 points to lead Northwestern in a 63-42 victory over Brown on Sunday.
Kale Abrahamson, Alex Marcotullio and Tre Demps each had nine points for the Wildcats (9-4) in their final game before Big Ten play begins.
Sean McGonagill scored 20 points to lead Brown (3-6), which has lost three straight and five of six. It was the Bears' first game since Dec. 8, when they lost 84-57 at No. 22 Notre Dame.
Northwestern, which never trailed, made 13 of 24 from 3-point range, with Sobolewski and Marcotullio each hitting three. Six Wildcat players made at least one 3-pointer. The Wildcats scored the first 15 points of the game, all on 3-pointers.
The Wildcats had 21 assists and just 12 turnovers.
Reggie Hearn, leading Northwestern with 14.5 points per game, did not play because of an ankle injury suffered in Friday's 70-68 loss to Stanford. Marcotullio started in Hearn's place. The Wildcats are already without Drew Crawford, who will miss the rest of the season. Crawford, who was averaging 13.5 points per game, underwent surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder on Thursday.
The fire alarm in Welsh-Ryan Arena went off with about a minute to play. The game stopped briefly with 40.8 seconds remaining, and officials announced to the crowd that it was a false alarm though many fans were already leaving.
Northwestern shot 49 percent from the field while Brown made just 31 percent.
Matt Sullivan, a native of nearby Wilmette, Ill., who leads the Bears in scoring with 16 per game, had two points on Sunday. Only eight players suited up for Brown.
Northwestern's biggest lead was 33 points with 8:32 remaining after a 17-0 run. Sobolewski, Jared Swopshire and Marcotullio combined to hit four consecutive 3-pointers during the run. Sobolewski was fouled on his second 3 and made the foul shot for a 60-27 lead.
The Wildcats went 6 of 13 from beyond the arc in the first half to lead 28-18 at the break.
After Northwestern's 15-0 start, Tucker Halpern hit a 3-pointer for Brown's first points with 15:21 left in the half. Brown had four 3-pointers in the game, with McGonagill making the other three.
The Wildcats, who are now 6-4 at home, entered the game shooting 37.1 percent from 3-point range.
Northwestern has 10 days off before opening Big Ten play at home against Michigan on Jan. 3. Brown will next play crosstown rival Providence on Friday.
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