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EVANSTON, Ill. – HBU started fast and took a three-point halftime lead, but Northwestern battled back and pulled away from the Huskies down the stretch for a 65-58 victory in the season-opener Friday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
 
Senior center Ricmonds Vilde recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds for HBU (0-1), while junior guard Anthony Odunsi also had 13 points, going 9-for-10 from the free-throw line, and adding four rebounds and four assists. Senior guard Marcel Smith came off the bench to add 11 points, senior guard Tyler Russell had eight, and sophomore forward Colter Lasher had six points, four rebounds and four assists.
 
Alex Olah had a double-double of his own for Northwestern (1-0), scoring 21 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and blocking three shots. Vic Law chipped in with 13 points and seven rebounds, and Bryant McIntosh had 12 points, four rebounds and six assists for the Wildcats.
 
The Huskies shot 41.2 percent from the floor for the game, but only made 2-of-15 from 3-point range, while the Wildcats shot only 38.3 percent from the field and 6-for-22 from long range. HBU went 14-for-21 from the line, and Northwestern went 13-for-19. The Huskies outrebounded the Wildcats, 40-36.
 
HBU outscored Northwestern 12-2 to open the game, which included six points by Vilde on a sweeping layup off the glass, a tip-in and an 18-footer. The Wildcats missed 11 of their first 12 shots, but Law ended the Huskies' run with three-straight free throws. Junior guard Caleb Crayton made one-of-two at the line to maintain the Huskies' advantage at 15-8, but Sanjay Lumpkin hit a three to cut the lead to four.
 
Vilde grabbed an offensive board for a putback, but Olah answered with a layup. After a pair of Odunsi free throws, McIntosh hit a three to get Northwestern within one, but a Russell steal led to a Smith layup to put HBU ahead, 23-18. Back-to-back buckets by McIntosh cut the Huskies lead to one again, but Lasher's lefty hook shot made the score 25-22.
 
Northwestern tied the game, 25-25, on a three by Scottie Lindsey, then the Wildcats took their first lead on a layup by Nathan Taphorn. Smith came back with a layup for the Huskies to tie it, 27-27, with 2:06 remaining in the opening half. Jeremiah Kreisberg made one-of-two free throws with 1:15 to go, but Odunsi hit a pair to put HBU back on top and Smith's jumper with 37 seconds left sent the Huskies into the break with a 31-28 lead.
 
HBU shot 46.2 from the field, but 0-for-4 from 3-point range, and 7-for-9 from the line in the first half, while holding Northwestern to 35.7 percent from the field and 3-for-11 from behind the arc. The Huskies also outrebounded the Wildcats, 20-15, and the Wildcats had a slight edge in turnovers in a relatively clean half, 6-4.
 
Early in the second half, HBU took a 42-41 lead on a 3-pointer by Smith, but layups by Olah and Lumpkin and a three by JerShon Cobb put Northwestern up, 48-42, with 10:50 to go. The Huskies ended a four-minute, 20-second drought on a pair of free throws by Lasher, then got back to within two, 49-47, on a trey by Vilde with just under 10 minutes to play.
 
Olah made a layup, but sophomore center Cody Stetler answered with a jumper, then Olah hit a three to give the Wildcats a 54-49 lead with 7:08 to go. A layup by Law extended Northwestern's lead to seven, but Stetler got inside for a layup to keep HBU within five with just under six minutes on the clock.
 
Another layup by Olah, then a dunk by Law put the Wildcats ahead by nine with just over four minutes remaining, but the Huskies could not get closer than seven the rest of the way.
 
The Huskies return to action when they host Hillsdale Baptist in the home opener Monday at 7 p.m. at Sharp Gym.