Northwestern 97, Yellowjackets 68
Box Score

The Yellowjacket men's basketball team, fresh off a 1-1 weekend in the 2012 Merrill Thompson Tip-Off Classic, hit the road for the first time this season, taking on a formidable foe in the Northwestern College Eagles.  Northwestern entered the game unbeaten on the year, going 4-0 against MIAC and WIAC competition and winning games by an average of ten points.

If only the margin of victory were that close on Wednesday.  The Yellowjackets fell behind early as the Eagles built a huge lead on their way to a 97-68 home court victory.

The Yellowjackets grabbed a lead early in the contest when Johnquez Brooks (Las Vegas, Nev.) hit a three-pointer to make it 3-2 less than a minute into the contest.  Unfortunately, this was the only lead of the game for the Yellowjackets.  With the scored tied 5-5 Ellis Libby hit a three with 3:48 elapsed in the game to make it 8-5 and give the Eagles a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

A 15-2 run by the Eagles made it a 23-7 game before an Aaron Corry (Lake Nebagamon, Wis.) three-pointer stopped the bleeding momentarily.  After the Yellowjackets closed the gap to eight points following a Brooks jumper, the Eagles again went on an extended run, outscoring the Yellowjackets 16-2 over a less-than-five-minute span to blow the game open.  The Yellowjackets trailed by 15, 47-32 at the break.

The Yellowjackets were never able to gain any traction in the second half.  Despite shooting considerably better than the first half, they could never reduce the deficit lower than 15 points.  In the end the Eagles enjoyed a couple more extended runs and built their lead to as many as 31 points in picking up their fifth victory of the season.

Austin Cahil (Phoenix, Ariz.) led the Yellowjackets with 15 points, followed by Bronson Byrne (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) and Brooks who had 12 and 10 points, respectively.  Jarrod Peterson (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) scored nine points and pulled down a team high seven rebounds. 

At the other end, reigning UMAC Player of the Week Wade Chitwood led all scorers with 31 points while Michael Carney poured in 15 points off the bench for the Eagles.

The Yellowjackets (2-3, 0-0 WIAC) will enter conference play on Saturday, December 1 when they play host to UW-Stevens Point at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.  Game time is slated for 3:00 p.m.