Jalen Leach scored seven of his season-best 27 points in overtime and Northwestern escaped an upset bid by posting a 67-58 victory over Eastern Illinois on Friday night in nonconference play at Evanston, Ill.
Nick Martinelli added 16 points and Ty Berry scored 10 for the Wildcats (3-1), who played without Brooks Barnhizer (foot) for the fourth straight game.
Leach, a transfer from Fairfield, made two big shots late in the regulation and connected on 15 of 16 free-throw attempts.
Nakyel Shelton had 19 points and three steals for the Panthers (1-3), who went scoreless in overtime. Kooper Jacobi contributed 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists for Eastern Illinois.
Leach hit two free throws with 3:37 left in overtime for the first points of the extra session. He made the only field goal of the period when he drained a 3-pointer to make it 65-58 with 1:22 left. Leach added two free throws with 36.2 seconds left to play to round out the scoring.
In regulation, Leach sank a jumper to pull Northwestern within 56-55 with 2:50 left. He then knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining to give the Wildcats a two-point edge.
Shelton then hit a floater from the free-throw line with 31.5 seconds left to tie it at 58.
The Wildcats shot 40.4 percent from the field, including 5 of 19 from 3-point range. Justin Mullins had five steals for Northwestern.
Eastern Illinois made 41 percent of its attempts and was 3 of 19 from behind the arc.
Northwestern led by nine eight-plus minutes into the second half before Shelton scored 10 points during an Eastern Illinois 14-2 burst.
Shelton scored the Panthers’ first six points of the run as they crept within 45-41 with 9:35 remaining. Shelton later hit consecutive jumpers to cap the flurry and give Eastern Illinois a 49-46 lead with 6:35 remaining.
Two free throws by Leach and a 3-pointer by Berry pushed the Wildcats back ahead at 51-49 with 5:51 left. But Shelton answered with a 3-pointer 17 seconds later to give the Panthers a one-point edge.
Eastern Illinois led 56-53 after Jacobi’s basket with 3:58 left.
Martinelli scored 11 points and Leach added 10 to help Northwestern to a 37-27 halftime lead. Jacobi had six in the half for Eastern Illinois.
