A surprisingly close first half was in tow, but Northwestern (8-5, 0-2 B1G) was able to pull away for a gritty 80-60 win over Howard (9-6, 0-0 MEAC) in front of a packed house at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston.
Much like the return of Grace Sullivan for women’s basketball against Washington, top scorer Nick Martinelli was back in the starting lineup after missing NU’s loss to Butler with a concussion. However, Arrinten Page was dropped from the starting lineup, sitting on the bench the entire game for “violating team standards,” according to the Big Ten Network broadcast.
Despite entering this game with the most efficient offense (49.1% FG) of the Chris Collins era through a season’s first 12 games, Northwestern has consistently been undermined by its defense. Teams under Collins have historically been defined by strong defensive identities, but that has not been the case this season.
With defensive ratings of 103.2 (KenPom) and 102.0 (Sports Reference), the Wildcats were posting their worst numbers since the 2014-15 season, where they posted defensive ratings of 103.2 (KenPom) and 104.7 (Sports Reference). The question then was whether that trend would continue.
Northwestern clung to a narrow lead for much of the game, and it felt like the ’Cats were never going to fully shake a persistent Howard squad, seeing their advantage cut to just two points early in the second half. Though Howard battled throughout, the Wildcats used a decisive late run to finally pull away, holding the Bison to just 32 second-half points.
Martinelli led the ‘Cats offensively with a dominant 32 points and six rebounds, shooting 10-of-20 from the field. Tre Singleton provided a crucial all-around performance with 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks, two steals and zero turnovers, playing with poise beyond his years.
For the Bison, it was Ose Okojie who kept Howard within striking distance for much of the contest. Okojie finished with a team-high 13 points, while Cam Gillus facilitated the offense with seven assists.
The difference in the game came from ball security and defensive pressure. Northwestern committed a mere five turnovers while forcing 14 from Howard, converting those into a decisive 21-6 advantage in points off turnovers. Though three-point shooting was nearly even, the Wildcats’ aggressive drive-and-kick game earned them 34 free throw attempts to Howard’s 13, providing the necessary margin to secure the win.
Both offenses sputtered from the opening tip. The Wildcats missed their first four field goal attempts before Martinelli drew a foul and sank two free throws for the game’s first points. Howard responded with a back-cut layup, and the tone was set for a half defined by defense and missed shots.
The Wildcats’ defense was active early, forcing eight turnovers and converting them into 13 points. A steal led to a transition foul on Angelo Ciaravino, who split a pair of free throws, and Singleton followed with a strong post move to put the Wildcats up 6-2.
Howard briefly found its range, as Alex Cotton and Cedric Taylor III hit three-pointers to take an 8-7 lead. But the Wildcats responded with their own perimeter spark from an unexpected source: reserve guard Justin Mullins, who connected on his first triple to retake the lead at 10-9. After Martinelli scored inside and Cotton hit another three for Howard, Mullins struck again from the corner to put Northwestern up 13-12 midway through the half.
The game remained tight until Mullins took over. Following a Howard turnover, he drained his third three-pointer in transition, forcing a Bison timeout with Northwestern leading 24-15 and 7:35 remaining.
Howard clawed back with a 5-0 run, capped by a Travelle Bryson dunk that prompted a timeout from Wildcats coach Chris Collins. Northwestern’s offense added seven more points before halftime, with a Jake West layup and a pair of Martinelli free throws coming off more Howard turnovers.
Mullins also rifled in his fourth three-pointer of the half to stay scorching hot and keep the ‘Cats in front. A Bryson three and a tip-in second-chance lay trimmed the Wildcats’ lead to 31-28 at the break.
Mullins was perfect in the half, scoring 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Martinelli added 11 points for Northwestern, which shot 47.6% from the field and 62.5% from three-point range but attempted just 21 total shots.
Howard stayed close by dominating the glass, outrebounding the Wildcats 20-10 with seven offensive boards. Okojie led the Bison with seven points, while Bryson added nine off the bench. The Bison shot 39.3% from the field and 41.7% from deep.
The Wildcats needed a more assertive second half after letting Howard hang around, and they delivered. The energy shifted decisively in their favor, turning a nail-biter into a comfortable 80-60 victory.
The half began with the ‘Cats sharpening their attack against Howard’s zone. Martinelli found space for a push jumper, and a strong defensive stand forced an early Bison timeout. The tone was set, though the Bison kept it close early, answering every Wildcat push.
The inflection point arrived midway through the half, and with the score tight, the Wildcats’ depth and hustle began to overwhelm Howard. Singleton was the Mullins of the second half, as his relentless effort on the glass and efficient offense sparked the key run. A sequence featuring a Max Green steal, a Tyler Kropp finish and Singleton’s own three-point play stretched the lead to 50-42.
From there, Northwestern methodically pulled away. It continued to dissect the Howard zone, with Martinelli, Singleton and Jordan Clayton finding easy buckets.
Defensively, the Wildcats tightened the screws, generating turnovers and converting them into points. Jake West provided a steady hand, and even with Page sitting the entire game, the rotation had more than enough.
The final minutes were a formality. The ‘Cats attacked the press with ease, Martinelli pirouetted for a layup and the lead ballooned to 20. The Bison’s spirit was broken, and Northwestern closed out a dominant 49-32 second half to secure the win, proving it can flip the switch when needed.
With non-conference play closed out on a high note, Northwestern will look to earn its first conference win and start 2026 right in a Saturday clash versus Minnesota at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Jan. 3 at 4 p.m. CST.
