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Northwestern-Indiana Final Score: Northwestern extends win streak to four in 72-65 win over Indiana

Northwestern has now won four consecutive Big Ten games for the first time since 1967.

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

--What a fun game that was, particularly the first half. Both teams came out hot and playing at a frenetic pace, but the game wasn't as sloppy as you'd might expect- in total, Indiana and Northwestern combined for only 13 turnovers. The crowd was into it (albeit a 50/50 crowd), the students were into it, and both teams played with the type of intensity you like to see late in conference play. This Northwestern team has been downright brutal to watch at times this season, but tonight--as the last few games have been-- was a pleasure.

--The zone giveth and zone taketh away. In the first half, Indiana capitalized on their open looks and was a torrid 9/14 from three-point range. But in the second half, Indiana went ice cold, going 3-for-16 from three. And that is exactly what the zone does: make teams shoot a high volume of three-point shots. If they're hitting, you're in trouble, but if they're not, you're in good shape. Tonight was a perfect example of that.

--Indiana doesn't have a whole lot of size and Alex Olah took advantage. Northwestern made a point to get him the rock early and often, and he scored 10 in the first half and 17 overall to go along with 11 rebounds, his sixth double double of the year. He was protected the rim admirably, and a first half block gave him the all-time Northwestern record in that category.

--This is maddening to do, but let's indulge ourselves and ask the what-if question. Northwestern sits at 14-14 and 5-10 in Big Ten play. Let's say they win two from those string of close losses- they'd be 7-8 with three games left in Big Ten play....yeah, this is a stretch. I'm going to stop now.

--A big factor in this win streak has been the improved play of Tre Demps (23 points) and Vic Law (14 points and 8 rebounds). Demps has been much more efficient as of late, going 8/12 tonight, and Law is brimming with confidence after a string of good performances. What's most exciting for Northwestern is that their best players will be back next year, and the response to the losing streak shows that this team is not just young and talented, but also resilient. Next year could be really fun.