Spokesman-Review
National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Northwestern 90, Lehigh 46
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, November 4, 2024
Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Illinois
Officials: # Alfred Smith, # Kenneth Moreland, # D.J. Carstensen
Attendance: 5521

Zack Martinelli scored 17 of his game-high 26 points before halftime and Luke Hunger chipped in 15 points to lift host Northwestern to a 90-46 rout of Lehigh on Monday in Evanston, Ill.

Northwestern led by as many as 50 points in the season opener for both teams. Martinelli grabbed 10 rebounds to notch a double-double.

Jalen Leach scored 12 points for the Wildcats while Ty Berry and K.J. Windham had 10 apiece. Northwestern forced 12 Mountain Hawks turnovers and enjoyed a 45-26 edge on the glass.

Nasir Whitlock paced Lehigh with 11 points. Tyler Whitney-Sidney scored 10 points and Edouard Benoit grabbed eight boards.

The Mountain Hawks were limited to 32.1 percent shooting, including 2-for-17 from 3-point range.

Northwestern featured plenty of cutting and ball movement in its attack, which helped the Wildcats create lots of good looks from close range en route to a 51-15 halftime advantage.

Crisp passing along the perimeter paid dividends, too. Northwestern's 58.3 percent effort from the field before the break featured 7-for-15 accuracy from long range.

Martinelli, Angelo Ciaravino and Windham combined to connect on three treys over a 57-second span late in the first half to stretch the Wildcats' advantage to 37 points, 49-12.

Lehigh shot 5-for-26 (19.2) percent from the floor in the first half, including misses on each of its 12 attempts from deep. Whitney-Sidney sparked the Mountain Hawks with eight first-half points.

The Wildcats scored the first nine points of the game and held the Mountain Hawks scoreless until Whitney-Sidney converted a three-point play with 15:51 to go in the first half.

Lehigh, which returns six of its top nine scorers from last season, didn't reach double digits as a team until a Keith Higgins Jr. jumper with 6:28 left until the break.

Wildcats senior Brooks Barnhizer, a preseason all-Big Ten pick who averaged 14.6 points last season, missed the game with a foot injury.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Lehigh   Northwestern
Nasir Whitlock 11 Scoring Nick Martinelli 26
Nasir Whitlock 4 Assists Jalen Leach 6
Edouard Benoit 8 Rebounds Nick Martinelli 10
Nasir Whitlock 3 Free Throws Made Nick Martinelli 6
Nasir Whitlock 2 Steals Ty Berry 2
Keith Higgins Jr. 1 Blocks Keenan Fitzmorris 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Lehigh 46 32.1 2-17 10-18 8 26 1 4 12
Northwestern 90 54.5 9-20 9-14 22 41 3 10 8