Northwestern 72, Gardner-Webb 59: Center Alex Olah scored a career-high 18 points and blocked five shots to lead the host Wildcats to their third straight win in a preliminary game of the 2013 Las Vegas Invitational.

Drew Crawford scored 15 points and JerShon Cobb added 14 points for Northwestern (4-2). Crawford and Cobb each also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds while guard Dave Sobolewski contributed 10 points and six assists.

Tyrell Nelson scored 14 points and Naji Hibbert added 13 for Gardner-Webb (2-4), which dropped its second straight game. Forward Jerome Hill grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

Gardner-Webb took advantage of some poor Northwestern shooting to take a 10-6 lead in the first seven minutes as the Wildcats missed seven of their first eight field goal tries. But Northwestern answered with a 12-2 run and went into halftime with a 28-25 thanks to a late 3-pointer by Tre Demps.

Northwestern took control of the game with a 12-4 run to open the second half capped by a dunk by Olah. A jumper by Demps extended the lead to 15 points, 50-35, with just under 12 minutes to go and the Runnin' Bulldogs never got closer than six points the rest of the way.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Both teams head to Las Vegas to continue play in the Las Vegas Invitational on Thursday and Friday at the Orleans Arena. ... The Wildcats face Missouri on Thursday night and UCLA on Friday night in Las Vegas while the Runnin' Bulldogs play IUPUI on Thursday and either Chattanooga or Morehead State on Friday. ... Northwestern starting forward Sanjay Lumpkin, who came into the contest second on the team in rebounding (7.0), was ejected late in the game for what was ruled a flagrant 2 foul but will not have to sit out the Missouri game.