Northwestern will advance to the second round of the NIT for the first time in 17 years after downing Milwaukee 70-61 at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Wednesday night.
The Cats will next face top-seeded Boston College on Saturday.
“It’s a great feeling,” senior guard Michael Thompson said. “We’re just trying to build some momentum here. We feel like we played really well in the Big Ten Tournament and hopefully we can go on the road here and get another big win.”
The victory came courtesy of a 25-point effort by junior forward John Shurna, who is coming off a 23-point performance in NU’s overtime loss to No. 1 Ohio State in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament last Friday.
Thompson recorded 20 points and sophomore guard Alex Marcotullio, who averages 5.5 points a game, added 13 of his own as he filled in for an injured JerShon Cobb.
Despite NU’s 16-0 run at the end of the opening half to take the 38-26 edge into break, Milwaukee kept the game close in the second half. The Cats’ 41.9 percent field-goal performance in the opening period dipped to 33.3 percent in the second half as the Panthers improved to a 51.9 percentage from the field.
Milwaukee narrowed NU’s lead to six points with a little more than five minutes left in regulation. At Thompson’s insistence, the Cats switched out of their signature 1-3-1 zone and were able to keep the Panthers’ offense at bay and secure the win.
“We just kept our composure and kept moving the ball,” Thompson said. “That’s really what did it for us.”
