Scottie Lindsey's 18 points off the bench and 12 consecutive second-half points from Tre Demps were the difference.
EVANSTON — Northwestern won a back-and-forth battle for the Lincoln State, 58-56 thanks to stellar bench play and a streak of brilliance from Tre Demps.
Both teams couldn't find a bucket early, which made for a less-than-beautiful beginning to the game. Illinois missed their first six shots before connecting on back to back three-pointers, but Northwestern was unable to capitalize on Illinois's slow start though, and too struggled to hit shots. Aaron Falzon and Tre Demps missed two wide-open threes in the opening minutes and Northwestern found itself in an early 9-4 hole.