This story is part of a three-part series on the 1959 Northwestern basketball team.
December 1, 1958Western Michigan – 102-60, W
In the season opener against the Hilltoppers, the Wildcats broke a four-year old McGaw Memorial Hall record (100) for points in a game with 102. Joe Ruklick’s 28 points led Northwestern to the 42-point victory in front of a sparse crowd of 3,000 people.
December 6, 1958Maryland – 66-60, W
Coach Bill Rohr said his team finally “gelled” as a unit. A story in THE DAILY said the lack of depth that hurt NU the previous season wouldn’t do so this year. The Cats had added “spice to the sauce.”
December 8, 1958at Notre Dame – 68-63, W
Although the Irish put the Cats in a locker room without heat and did not give them a bench, NU fought the tough road conditions and battled to a win over the Midwest rival.
December 19, 1958at Louisville – 73-68, W
Playing in the Blue Grass Classic, NU found a way to beat a top-10 team on the road.
December 20, 1958at North Carolina – 78-64, L
In the second game of the Blue Grass Classic, the Cats didn’t have the firepower to stay with the Tarheels.
December 22, 1958Washington – 75-69, W
Back at home, the Cats managed to get right back on track with a six-point win over the Huskies.
December 27, 1958West Virginia – 118-109 (2OT), W
In front of a sold-out crowd at the old Chicago Stadium, the Cats beat the Mountaineers and All-American Jerry West, who was held to 17 points by NU’s Willie Jones.
December 31, 1958Notre Dame – 102-67, W
Motivated to improve upon the five-point win in South Bend earlier in the season, NU topped Notre Dame at home by 35 points. But the victory was costly, as starting forward Phil Warren fractured a bone in his foot.
January 3, 1959Iowa – 80-77, W
Although the Cats won the game, Warren was unable to fight through his injury and left early. Rohr later said: “Phil’s departure means that death comes in two ways. One, we lose the finest defensive rebounder we have. Two, we lose a 12.4 scoring average.”
January 5, 1959at Michigan – 83-78, W
Playing its first full game without Warren, NU outlasted Michigan in a game with six ties and seven lead changes. Jones scored nine points down the stretch to ice the game.
January 10, 1959Indiana – 76-69, L
After soaring to a 9-1 start, NU fell to the Hoosiers and suffered its first home loss of the season. The Cats shot 28.1 percent from the field and Rohr called his team’s performance “flat.”
January 17, 1959at Ohio State – 88-77, L
For the second straight game, NU shot poorly from the field (31-of-95, 32.6 percent). After the game, Rohr said, “There’s nothing wrong with out offense. We’re getting good shots, they just won’t go in.”
January 19, 1959Minnesota – 71-67, L
Ruklick had his lowest scoring output of the season with five as the Golden Gophers collapsed their zone down low. Rohr said, “Ruklick isn’t in a slump. Warren’s absence allows the defense to fall back on Joe.” NU had a chance to win the game late, but Nick Mantis missed a shot with less than one minute to play.
January 24, 1959at Iowa – 99-96 (OT), W
Behind Ruklick’s 30-point burst and 44 percent shooting, the Cats were able to end their three-game skid. Mantis scored 23, upping his season average to 16.5, while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor.
January 31, 1959at Michigan State – 81-72, L
Warren returned to the starting lineup, but it didn’t help the Cats top the Spartans. NU fell two full games behind Michigan State in the conference standings.
February 7, 1959 Illinois – 88-79, W
Jones scored 31 points on 12-of-23 shooting to lead the Cats to victory. A story in The Daily said, “A new hero is emerging at Northwestern. Another young man is moving into the ranks occupied by Otto Graham, Frank Ehmann and Jim Golliday. That man is Willie Jones, a 6-3, 173 pound package of speed, agility and basketball knowhow. He already is the finest defensive basketball player in the Big Ten. He has great offensive potential, which has come to the forefront in a series of increasingly greater recent performances.”
February 14, 1959Purdue – 65-63 (OT), L
Before the game, Rohr said, “This is the toughest weekend of our schedule. If we get through it with two victories you’ll see me doing cartwheels down Central Street.” Despite leading by 10 in the second half and never trailing by more than two, the Cats fell to the Boilermakers at home.
February 16, 1959Michigan State – 71-68, L
The Spartans used just six players, but found a way to squeak out a victory at McGaw Hall, all but ending the Cats’ hopes of a conference crown.
February 21, 1959Michigan – 87-84, W
Ruklick sealed the victory on a layup with 24 seconds to go, wrapping up NU’s home schedule and ending the two-game drought.
February 23, 1959at Minnesota – 79-62, W
A Mantis hook shot with 12:30 left in the first half gave NU a 14-12 lead. From that point, the Cats never looked back.
February 28, 1959at Wisconsin – 86-82, W
The packed house in Madison caused a melee to break out at the end of the game. Rohr rushed the team off the court after the close win.
March 7, 1959at Illinois – 84-81, W
Winless in Champaign for the previous 15 years, the Cats edged the Illini with a three-point win, ending the year on a four-game winning streak and clinching second place in the conference.
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Read more:50 years later, still standing tall 5/26/09Ruklick hooks way to history book 5/27/09Joe Ruklick: Quick Hits 5/27/09
