It was a rough finish for the ‘Cats in a game where they had the lead late Friday night.
After Jayden Reid converted an and-one layup with eight minutes left to push the lead to 66-63, Northwestern made
only one more field goal. The offense stalled, the pace slowed and the scoring dried up. NU ended with 78 points but managed only 12 in the final eight minutes, nine of which came at the free throw line.
Rebounding told the real story. The concerns were already there at DePaul when the ‘Cats were outrebounded by nine and gave up 16 offensive boards. Facing Virginia only magnified the problem. The Cavaliers entered ranked ninth in the country with 46 rebounds per game and fourth with 15.3 offensive rebounds. They also held the second-best offensive rebounding rate in the nation at 46.4%. Northwestern, by comparison, came in at 188th in total rebounds with 35 per game and 194th in offensive rebounds with nine.
Those worries became reality as Virginia outrebounded Northwestern 49 to 25 and grabbed an absurd 21 offensive boards. Six Cavaliers had at least two offensive rebounds, led by Thijs De Ridder with five. Northwestern as a whole had only six. Arrinten Page led NU with six rebounds, but 25 total for a game is far too few for a team trying to win at this level.
De Ridder, the 22-year-old first-year who played four seasons of professional basketball before entering the college game, dominated with 26 points and eight rebounds. He was everywhere and had a clear physical edge over the ‘Cats. Johann Grunloh, a 20-year-old first-year with two years of pro experience, also imposed his size. He finished with seven rebounds, three on the offensive end, along with two blocks. The 7’0 center entered the night leading the country in blocks per game at 4.3 and showed why, including a huge rejection on Page when he tried to tie the game from three.
Most teams Northwestern faces will not be as overpowering on the glass as Virginia’s front line, but matchups like Purdue, Michigan and Illinois will bring similar size. Rebounding has now become a recurring issue, and it has cost NU in a big way. The absence of Brooks Barnhizer and Matthew Nicholson, and the value they bring on the boards, is becoming more obvious with each game.
Foul trouble was a major problem for Northwestern for the second straight game. All five starters had at least four fouls, and both Tre Singleton and Arrinten Page fouled out. Virginia struggled from the field, shooting 37.5% overall and 20.8% from three, but the Cavaliers made up for it at the line where they went 30-for-36. Many of the fouls were soft, including a costly one on Singleton as he went for an offensive rebound with the ‘Cats down one. UVA’s Dallin Hall fell despite minimal contact, and that moment shifted the game.
Foul trouble mattered even more because the starters, aside from Nick Martinelli, all posted positive plus-minus. Justin Mullins had the worst at minus 17, and Northwestern looked noticeably less effective whenever he was on the court.
Martinelli had a rare off night with nine points, which snapped his streak of 22 straight games with at least 15. Several of his shots rimmed out, but he looked less comfortable than usual. De Ridder’s size and physicality disrupted him for long stretches.
There were bright spots on offense, especially from Reid and Page. Reid finished with 25 points and five assists while Page added 20 points and six rebounds. Page dominated the first half and the early portion of the second before settling for too many threes and cooling off. Reid carried the scoring load late and became the go-to option, although his speed sometimes pushed Northwestern into a pace that felt rushed. At key moments, the ‘Cats looked a bit rattled and played faster than they needed to.
This is not a bad loss and Virginia is likely an NCAA Tournament team, but it was still a major missed opportunity given how many chances the ‘Cats had to take control. A few smaller breaks could have swung the outcome. If Northwestern had been outrebounded by 20 instead of 24, allowed 25 points at the line instead of 30 or avoided the late foul on Singleton, the result might have looked very different. Even so, the ‘Cats showed they can hang with a quality opponent and dictate stretches of the game, which is an encouraging sign.
Rebounding remains the clear priority, and Chris Collins will continue to make it the focal point moving forward.
Northwestern is back on the floor tomorrow at 4 p.m. CST against South Carolina on CBS Sports Network, and the ‘Cats will try to respond with a much-needed win.
