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. Junior Fernandez Jersey . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. John Brebbia Cardinals Jersey . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. https://www.cheapcardinalsonline.com/944t-matt-wieters-jersey-cardinals.html .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Dexter Fowler Jersey . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. Ken Boyer Jersey .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.West Indies produced a disciplined bowling performance to open their tri-series with a 62-run victory over Sri Lanka in Harare. Despite being bowled out for just 227, Shannon Gabriel and debutant Ashley Nurse took three wickets apiece as Sri Lanka crumbled to 165 all out in the 44th over. It could have been worse for Graham Fords side, having been 79-6, but a quick-fire 45 from Sachith Pathirana and 31 from Shehan Jayasuriya threatened to take the match close before Gabriel returned to clean up the tail.The Windies had also struggled with the bat earlier in the dday, with openers Johnson Charles, Kraigg Brathwaite and Evin Lewis falling cheaply.ddddddddddddhai Hope made a patient 47, however, while Johnathan Carter hit 54 in partnership with another debutant Rovman Powell, whose 29-ball 44 helped Jason Holders men get past 200.Dhananjaya de Silva, who starred in Mondays win over Zimbabwe, fell for just three as the Sri Lanka batsmen struggled to deal with the pace of Holder (2-16) and the lower-order was left with too much to do as the West Indies claimed an impressive win.Upgrade to Sky Sports now to watch Man Utd v Arsenal this Saturday and get the first six months half price! ' ' '