Halftime Report
Northwestern is on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have jumped out to a quick 32-24 lead against Dayton.
Northwestern has yet to string together two consecutive wins, but this may be their chance. For now, things are looking good for them.
Who’s Playing
Northwestern Wildcats @ Dayton Flyers
Current Records: Northwestern 1-0, Dayton 1-0
How To Watch
What to Know
The Northwestern Wildcats are headed away from home for the first time to take on the Dayton Flyers at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at University of Dayton Arena. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Northwestern is headed out to face Dayton after opening their season at home and giving their fans just what they were looking for. Northwestern blew past Lehigh, posting a 90-46 win. With the Wildcats ahead 51-15 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Nick Martinelli was the offensive standout of the matchup as he dropped a double-double on 26 points and ten rebounds. What’s more, he also posted a 75% field goal percentage, which is the highest he’s posted since back in January. Jalen Leach was another key player, scoring 12 points in addition to six assists and five rebounds.
Northwestern was working as a unit and finished the game with 22 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lehigh only posted eight.
Meanwhile, Dayton posted their biggest victory since January 20th on Monday. They put a hurting on St. Francis to the tune of 87-57. The margin was wide but not a surprise since the spread was 23 in the Flyers’ favor.
Dayton’s win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Zed Key, who had 14 points plus six rebounds and three blocks. The team also got some help courtesy of Enoch Cheeks, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds.
Northwestern was able to grind out a solid win over Dayton in their previous meeting back in November of 2023, winning 71-66. The rematch might be a little tougher for Northwestern since the team won’t have the home-court advantage this time around. We’ll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Northwestern is hoping to beat the odds on Saturday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. They finished last season with a 15-13-1 record against the spread.
Odds
Dayton is a 3.5-point favorite against Northwestern, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Flyers as a 4.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 137.5 points.
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Series History
Northwestern has won both of the games they’ve played against Dayton in the last 8 years.
- Nov 10, 2023 – Northwestern 71 vs. Dayton 66
- Dec 17, 2016 – Northwestern 67 vs. Dayton 64