Northwestern rebooted its confidence with its three consecutive wins over Oregon, Indiana and Maryland, but these last two close losses against Purdue and Minnesota have slightly burst the bubble of optimism heading into the Big Ten Tournament.
Saturday night’s one-point loss to Minnesota felt especially familiar. Here are three takeaways from Northwestern’s regular season finaly.
Shooting Woes and Offensive Stagnation
Northwestern couldn’t find its rhythm early, faltering as the Golden Gophers seized home-court advantage. Isaac Asuma cruised
for seven straight points while the ‘Cats struggled to keep up with better shooting, trailing 11-2 before calling the first timeout. Northwestern fell behind 18-2 before Jordan Clayton hit a three-pointer at the 13:11 mark.
The ‘Cats were outshot badly, especially from three-point range. Minnesota looked comfortable spacing the floor and creating open looks, while Northwestern found it difficult to generate quality shots. Though the ‘Cats regained their footing later in the first half, the Golden Gophers maintained their flow with 11 assists compared to Northwestern’s seven.
In the first half, Northwestern battled hard on the glass without Arrinten Page, who was ruled out before the game due to illness. The ‘Cats led in rebounds and capitalized on second chances, but it didn’t heal the pain as Minnesota, ironically, didn’t need offensive rebounds when they were feeding hot hands.
Jayden Reid didn’t score in the first half and continued his drought into the second, eventually finishing with a zero-point game, his first of the season. Martinelli, despite scoring 10 first-half points, went ice-cold in the second half before a late resurgence.
Overall, though Northwestern rejuvenated with better shooting and started moving the ball effectively to collapse Minnesota’s zone defense, it was too late to reclaim its identity.
West and Singleton’s Shining Performances
Given that he’s a freshman who will take Northwestern forward in the future, every blast from Jake West provides a jolt of optimism for Wildcat Nation in this disappointing season.
Against Minnesota, West posted his fourth double-digit scoring performance of the season, notching 14 points and four assists. Despite missing the Purdue game with an ankle injury, he still managed to shoulder a large portion of the offensive load. With Northwestern trailing by 39-29 at halftime, he catalyzed a rally to open the second half, scoring nine of Northwestern’s first 19 second-half points with three tough makes from deep.
Singleton stuffed the stat sheet in the second half as well, finishing with eight points, four rebounds and four assists. West and Singleton as a duo either scored or assisted 27 of Northwestern’s 37 second-half points.
Though Martienlli scored 23 points overall, most of his scoring output arrived late. Ten of Martinelli’s 23 came in the final eight minutes. The true-first years were the engine of the Wildcat comeback.
Deja Vu in the Clutch
Once a beacon of hope arose in the second half, it was hard to believe Northwestern could seal the seal. Though the ’Cats earned a series of tough conference wins recently, the late-game woes remained fresh in Northwestern fans’ memories. Just think back to how they lost to Minnesota in January.
This time felt different initially — the ‘Cats didn’t possess energy in the first half but grasped the lead late after Clayton’s clutch three-pointer with 1:34 remaining. Northwestern then elevated its defense, with Clayton providing tough coverage on Asuma, whose contested putback at the rim nearly missed everything. Angelo Ciaravino secured the rebound and drew an intentional foul, sinking two crucial free throws.
But after allowing Langston Reynolds to score a quick transition jam, Northwestern needed to make its free throws. Martinelli missed the front end of a one-and-one, Reynolds grabbed the rebound and dominated the ensuing transition with a tough finish, putting Minnesota in front for good. Martinelli’s go-ahead attempt from three was no good.
This late-game lapse has plagued the ‘Cats throughout the entire season. Given those neck-and-neck margins, at least head coach Chris Collins believes his team remains capable of competing with most Big Ten foes. There’s no margin for error in their next mission: the Big Ten Tournament.
If Northwestern wants to salvage anything from this season, fixing their late-game execution must become priority number one. The talent exists. The fight exists. But until the ‘Cats learn to close, the same heartbreaking script will continue repeating itself.
