While it certainly wasn't pretty, Northwestern did just enough to improve to 9-1, as the Wildcats picked up a 70-64 home victory over Central Connecticut St. The game wasn't decided until the final minute, with the Wildcats making some clutch defensive stops at the end.
The Wildcats were led on the offensive end by Drew Crawford, who netted 14 points and also grabbed six boards in 37 minutes of action. Junior guard Reggie Hearn shot the ball with excellent efficiency from the field, hitting 6/7 for a team-high 17 points. Luka Mirkovic anchored the paint for Northwestern, scoring 10 points and pulling down eight boards to finish just shy of a double-double.
Central Connecticut St. received a spectacular performance from Kyle Vinales, who scored a game-high 27 points in the loss. Robby Ptacek chipped in 17 points, while Ken Horton scored 15 points and grabbed 11 boards for CCSU.
Northwestern closes out its six-game homestand with a matchup against Eastern Illinois on December 18. CCSU returns home to face La Salle on December 22.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for all the latest. More information on the Wildcats is available at Sippin' On Purple. For other news and notes from around college basketball, visit SB Nation's college basketball news hub.