With five seconds left on the clock Thursday night and the Wildcats up by a point, Winston Blake decided Northwestern wasn’t going to endure another heartbreaker.
Minnesota (14-8, 7-4 Big Ten) had worked the clock down from 22 seconds, and guard Kerwin Fleming was setting up for a last-second, potentially game-winning shot.
But Blake had other plans – like, say, a 58-56 NU victory.
The forward reached out and swiped the ball from Fleming’s hands. Blake then stumbled forward as he attempted to gain possession and was fouled by Minnesota’s Kevin Burleson.
While the game wasn’t over yet – the Golden Gophers had two chances under the basket to tie the score in the final seconds – Blake saved the Cats from another last-second Big Ten defeat, like those NU suffered earlier in the season against Purdue and Ohio State.
The victory ensured a .500 regular-season record for the Cats (14-9, 5-6) for just the second time in the last seven years. And it brought NU’s magic number for NIT eligibility down to one.
“Especially when you come down near the end of the Big Ten season, there are going to be a lot of close games,” said Blake, who led the Cats with 14 points. “People are going to be playing a lot harder, trying to fight for an NCAA berth. It helps us learn how to win in those close situations.”
And tight games are won with big plays in the final moments, as Blake proved against the Golden Gophers.
But he wasn’t the only NU player who came through in the clutch.
Jitim Young scored five points on a single possession, after a steal – one of his four in the game – with 1:38 remaining. The sophomore hit a layup and missed the ensuing free throw. But the ball went out of bounds off Minnesota, giving NU another chance to score. Young took full advantage of the opportunity, draining a three-pointer from the left corner.
Minnesota forward Michael Bower said his team’s problems began Tuesday in practice, when the Golden Gophers lacked their usual energy level. That frustration continued Wednesday.
“They’re not as talented as we are,” Bauer said. “But when you bust your ass as much as they do, it doesn’t matter how talented you are.”
NU overcame a significant height disadvantage to outrebound the Golden Gophers on the offense boards, 17-12.
Even with the scrappy play, the game almost slipped out of reach at the start of the second half.
The Cats’ offense was sluggish coming out of the locker room, while Minnesota went on a big run.
“I think we were coaching a little too much,” NU head coach Bill Carmody said. “(We were) not letting the guys play, they were on too tight of a string. About the six-minute mark, we just said, ‘Listen fellas, you’re veterans. You know what you’re doing. Let’s just go out there and play. We’re not going to give you any help because you don’t need it.'”
The Cats responded, not falling apart as they did in their worst loss of the season Saturday at Wisconsin.
NU guard Drew Long sparked a 10-2 run with a three-pointer from the top of the key, NU’s second basket of the half.
And the Cats were able to hang on, despite Minnesota’s talented forward tandem of freshman Rick Rickert and senior Dusty Rychart. Rickert posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards. He also had three blocks and two steals. Rychart added 16 points of his own, including 10 of the Golden Gophers’ last 13.
Rickert wasn’t the only player to reach double digits in points and rebounds. NU forward Tavaras Hardy had his sixth double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 boards.
At the end of the night, Carmody and the Cats weren’t willing to talk about a possible postseason appearance with five regular-season games still remaining. But Rychart didn’t mind sharing his opinion.
“They frustrate teams,” Rychart said. “If they make it to the NCAA Tournament they’re going to pose some problems. Most of the teams that make it are the high gunners, scoring in the 80s and 90s, but (the Cats) like to keep (the score) in the 50s.
“They’re a tournament team for sure. At least the NIT.”
