Northwestern uses big second half to win season-opener

Northwestern trailed at halftime but outscored UMass Lowell by 24 in the second half for a 79-57 season-opening win Friday night in Evanston.

Both senior big man Alex Olah and freshman guard Aaron Falzon scored 20-plus points in the victory. Olah had a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Falzon scored 20 points, going 4-for-6 from 3-point range in the first game of his collegiate career.

Bryant McIntosh and Tre Demps also scored in double figures for the Cats, McIntosh scoring 12 points and handing out eight assists and Demps scoring 10 points.

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Northwestern shot 45.3 percent from the field while holding UMass Lowell to 32.1-percent shooting.

The Cats made just one of their 13 3-point attempts in the first 20 minutes, shooting 34.3 percent from the field in the first half. But they found their touch after halftime, shooting 58.6 percent in the second half including 8-for-16 from 3-point range.

Northwestern only turned the ball over six times, while UMass Lowell had 12 turnovers. The Cats held a 38-14 scoring advantage in the paint.