Northwestern moved to 7-5 on the season with a 61-58 loss against Butler on Saturday evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The offense wasn’t getting it done without Nick Martinelli
and the Wildcats shot just 35% from the field on the game. Head coach Chris Collins said postgame that energy on defense was a point of emphasis in huddles and the ‘Cats held Butler to just 37.9%
It was a Bulldogs, friendly environment. Not so much a true road game, there were a solid amount of Butler fans opposite their team’s bench, but enough to give the Bulldogs some energy at times.
Despite that, Northwestern was able to rally late and get back within single digits with a few chances at tying or taking the lead, but enough shots missed their mark and Butler made the most of its opportunities at the free throw line. Down by 3 points with just a few seconds on the clock, Jayden Reid was just able to cross midcourt and heave up an ill-fated attempt that instead fell back to the Bulldogs.
Northwestern returns to action on Tuesday, December 30, against Howard at home.
