EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern senior guard Drew Crawford’s hot start sparked the Wildcats, as his game-high 20 points, all in the first half, propelled them to a 79-49 win in their season opener against Texas Southern Tuesday night.

Crawford scored 5 seconds into the game off the opening tip and never let up, hitting 8 of 9 shots in the first half including four 3-pointers.

The Wildcats’ defense pressured Texas Southern (0-2) the entire game, aided by five players 6-foot-8 or taller which limited the Tigers’ effectiveness in the post. Texas Southern failed to crack double digits until forward Aaron Clayborn’s layup with 3:15 left in the first half, but that barely put a dent in Northwestern’s 40-11 lead.

Ten players scored for Northwestern, led by Crawford and freshman Kale Amrahamson, who added 15 points including two deep 3-pointers that brought the fans at Welsh-Ryan Arena to their feet.

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