Northwestern will play for a championship on Sunday after dispatching La Salle 82-74.
Senior Bryant McIntosh paced the Wildcats (3-1) with 21 points, while fellow senior Scottie Lindsey contributed 20 of his own. Junior Dererk Pardon also had 14 points and 7 rebounds for Northwestern in the first round of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament.
Redshirt sophomore Aaron Falzon made his season debut against the Explorers, making his first extended appearance for Northwestern since March 2016. He had 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting in 18 minutes of action off the bench.
The Explorers (3-1) never led during the contest, although they pushed the Wildcats in the second half, shooting 19 of 28 after the break.