New Orleans stayed close early despite Demps scoring the Wildcats' first 10 points of the game. [...] Northwestern broke the game open with 13 straight points for a 27-12 advantage with just over 10 minutes left before halftime. The Wildcats, who were 18 for 31 (58.1 percent) from the field in the first half, led by as many as 24 points and took a 48-25 lead into the locker room. Demps moved into a tie for 26th place (with Mark Sibley) on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,113 career points.