On its first possession Thursday night against Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena, Howard turned the ball over. On its second possession, Bison guard Kyle Riley clanked a jumper from the left corner. With that, the tone of the game was fully set.
It ended with the Wildcats stampeding to a 77-51 victory over the Bison, which gave them a perfect 4-0 record in December. It also lent them some momentum heading into their Jan. 2 Big Ten opener at home against Penn State and handed coach Bill Carmody his 100th triumph at the school.
Few if any were easier than this one, which came against an opponent as banged up as it was inept. The Bison were without the injured Eugene Myatt, their leading scorer and only performer averaging in double figures. They were also without the injured Jeron Smith and Randy Hampton, their second- and fourth-leading scorers.
But most of all, they were without a clue against the Wildcats’ zone, which left them fumbling the ball away or throwing up bricks that could have shattered plate glass. The numbers from just the first 10 minutes, which is when the game was settled, tell the story.
In that stretch, the Bison were 1 of 11 overall (9.1 percent) and 1 of 8 on three-pointers (12.5 percent) with eight turnovers. The Wildcats, in contrast, were 11 of 22 overall (50 percent) and 3 of 6 on their threes (50 percent) with only two turnovers.
Already they were up 25-5, and the only reason to go on was to fulfill contractual obligations. But go on they did and, at the end, the Bison had committed 25 turnovers and shots just 33.3 percent. Meanwhile, the Wildcats had gotten 12 points apiece from Sterling Williams and Jason Okrzesik.
The Wildcats also have the promise of Kevin Coble’s return. Their leading scorer and rebounder last season as a freshman has been on indefinite leave to be with his ailing mother in Arizona. But this week he practiced with the team and, when it gathers after Christmas, he is expected to be ready to play.
“His face was a little red,” Carmody said when asked how he looked during practice. “But the ball was going into the basket. That’s what I noticed.”
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smyslenski@tribune.com
