CHICAGO -- After building a big lead in the first half, Northwestern suddenly found itself running out of gas in a tight game down the stretch Saturday night.Coach Chris Collins turned toward the game clock for help or inspiration -- or both.Every dead ball, I saw guys on their knees, Collins said. I kept telling them, `Eight minutes! Six minutes! Four minutes! Two minutes!Sanjay Lumpkin had 14 points and 14 rebounds, Bryant McIntosh had 13 points, and the Wildcats survived a dismal final 10 minutes for a 67-64 victory over Dayton.Scottie Lindsey and Nathan Taphorn added 11 points apiece as Northwestern (9-2) won its sixth straight. The game was the first of a doubleheader at the United Center as part of the State Farm Chicago Legends.We were just trying to get to the finish line, Collins said. Fortunately, we were strong enough and did enough things to do that.Scoochie Smith had 18 points and Charles Cooke added 12 for Dayton (7-3), which had its five-game winning streak snapped.To our guys credit, I think you can see some fight, but we have to be more consistent, Dayton coach Archie Miller said. We have to be better. Whether it be the glass or our inability to run good offense, we just have not been as tough-minded as we needed to be against some of the teams weve played.Northwestern, which led by as many as 24, took charge early and appeared headed for a laugher. The Wildcats raced to an 11-0 lead less than four minutes into the game as Dayton missed its first eight shots.Northwestern took a 40-17 halftime lead as Dayton made just 4 of 28 field-goal attempts, a 14.3 percent shooting percentage.Cooke, who averaged 20 points in the first nine games, was scoreless in the first half on 0-for-5 shooting in 16 minutes.The Wildcats still led 55-33 with 10 minutes to go before Dayton made its furious rally. The Flyers cut the deficit to 59-55 with 1:28 left on a 3-pointer by Smith. Northwestern had missed 10 straight field goals before McIntosh hit an 18-footer to make it 61-55 with a minute to play.The Wildcats hung on from there.In years past, this was a game where maybe we would have given up that lead in the second half, said Lumpkin, a fifth-year senior. Maybe we wouldnt have won that game, made those tough plays. A lot of guys stepped up. Its great to see that growth.BIG PICTUREDayton: Although the Flyers entered the game with a 31-13 record against Power 5 conferences over the last 10 years, they were outclassed early on before rallying in the second half. Had Dayton started the game with some of the fire it showed after halftime, the result might have been different.Northwestern: How the Wildcats perform during Big Ten play will ultimately determine whether they make their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in March, but theyve put themselves in good position with a strong showing in the non-conference portion of the schedule -- despite the limp to the finish line on Saturday. NUs two losses were against teams currently ranked (Butler and Notre Dame) by a combined six points.UNITED FRONTAlthough Northwestern has played 11 Big Ten tournament games in the United Center, it was just its second regular-season game. Collins hopes to get the program to the point where it can play in the citys NBA arena frequently, but there clearly were more Dayton fans in attendance.They have a great program and a great fan base, and thats something we aspire to have, Collins said. You have to win, though. Thats my answer to everything.UP NEXTDayton: The Flyers host Vanderbilt on Wednesday to begin a three-game home stand.Northwestern: The Wildcats wrap up the non-conference schedule with a pair of home games, IUPUI on Tuesday and Houston Baptist on Thursday. Buffalo Bills Jerseys . Its sharpness matched my mind. This was no night to go to sleep. Lorenzo Alexander Jersey . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. http://www.officialauthenticbillsshop.com/authentic-bruce-smith-jersey.html . 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SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder put it simply after his team lost to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night, Kawhi Leonard was really good.Leonard scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Spurs avenged their lone loss of the season with a 100-86 victory over the Jazz.The Spurs bounced back from a 15-point home loss to the Jazz on Tuesday after losing just one game in San Antonio all of last season.I expected for them to come out and try to get off to a great start and just sustain, and they did that, Jazz forward Joe Johnson said. After we kind of hit first, they withstood the first five minutes and made a run of their own. We just never really got back.(Leonard) is shooting the ball unbelievable off picks. Hes handling off pick-and-rolls and making plays. Hes been tough to guard.The Jazz jumped to a 10-2 lead in the first quarter and an unhappy Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called a timeout just minutes into the game. The Spurs responded with a 29-7 run and the Jazz never led again.Utah got within seven points in the third quarter, but Leonard responded with five quick points and the Jazz never got within single digits the rest of the game.Leonard continued his MVP-caliber season by shooting 9 for 18 from the field while LaMarcus Aldridge added 19 points and six rebounds.Rodney Hood led the Jazz with 18 points, but they shot just 37.5 percent.Its only two games, Popovich said about facing the Jazz twice. You win some, you lose some. Its not necessarily (that we) discovered the Holy Grail and instituted it tonight and won the game because of it. We played better.TIP-INSSpurs: G Tony Parker missed the game due to right knee soreness. He did not travel with the team. ... Patty Mills started at point guard and scored 16 points to go wwith three rebounds and three assists.dddddddddddd Patty is a great offensive player and he has been playing really well running the offense, Spurs center Pau Gasol said. Tony is a very important player for us, but if he is taking this time off its because he needs it.Jazz: Gordon Hayward went through a pregame workout with the fingers on his left hand taped up. The star forward is out indefinitely with a broken finger on his non-shooting hand. ... F Boris Diaw missed his second consecutive game with a right leg contusion.NO WARMUPSThe Jazz season has started with four playoff teams in their first six games, including the Spurs twice. They hit the road for five straight and seven of nine away from Salt Lake City.The biggest thing for me is, you hope for your team to continue to improve, Snyder said. That is the primary thing. If competition early can accelerate that process, that is a good thing. Theres been times where that competition early can knock you back. So it can go either way.QUOTABLEOur identity as a defensive team has to be something we hold on tighter to, Snyder said. You can call that lack of focus. Its more subtle in some ways. For me its a lot of little things we werent doing. They add up.We have to know if were not focused and were not ready to play defense, we wont. Its not habitual yet. Its not who we are yet and its who we need to become who we are.UP NEXTSpurs: Host the Los Angeles Clippers and point guard Chris Paul, who entered Friday with a league-high 3.25 steals per game, on Saturday.Jazz: Travel to face a New York Knicks team on Sunday, that improved to 2/3 after a win over the Bulls on Friday. NFL Jerseys From China Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Store ' ' '