Northwestern teased its fans last season with nail-biting losses to top-15 opponents at Welsh-Ryan Arena, but on Wednesday night, the Wildcats sprung the upset.
NU used its 1-3-1 zone defense and hot shooting to knock off No. 12 Minnesota 55-48 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. It was the Golden Gophers’ lowest point total of the season.
“Last year we had so many close losses … so it’s in the back of our minds,” senior guard Reggie Hearn said. “This year our defense is a lot better, and it’s helping us close out games like we did tonight.
The Cats (12-8, 3-4 Big Ten) kept it close in the first half, despite losing the battle on the glass badly in the first 20 minutes — similar to the teams’ first encounter Jan. 6 in Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers (15-4, 3-3) had 15 offensive rebounds and 26 overall in the first period, much more than NU’s 15 total rebounds. Minnesota, however was unable to convert the extra possessions into points, shooting 29 percent from the field and only scoring 6 second-chance points in the first half.
The dominance on the boards mirrored Minnesota’s advantage down low. The Golden Gophers had five blocks in the first half and did not allow the Cats to score much inside the paint. However, Minnesota only had 8 points in the paint themselves, most of which came off of tip-ins and dunks. Hearn said the team felt very fortunate to escape the first half only down by 3 points, especially with its lack of execution rebounding.
Minnesota coach Tubby Smith said he was concerned with his team’s lack of execution near the basket.
“We had a lot of chances, and we were right at the basket, too,” Smith said. “We work on finishing at the basket with contact, and when it doesn’t carry over to the game, it’s disappointing.”
NU’s comeback began with the switch to the 1-3-1 zone in the second half, which baffled the Minnesota offense. The Golden Gophers committed 10 turnovers in the second half, including six from point guard Andre Hollins. The Cats converted those opportunities into 14 points, which helped them capture the momentum.
“They’re very aggressive on the ball,” Smith said. “They really get into the passing lanes and if you’re not patient or if you throw up quick shots, which we did, or if you turn it over, which we did, then it’s going to lead to easy baskets, and it’s really demoralizing.”
The true turning point came with nearly 12 minutes left in the game. Hearn drove through the lane off a steal by senior guard Alex Marcotullio and hit a layup while being fouled, swinging the momentum to NU. Despite missing the subsequent free throw, the Cats were within 3 points. On the next possession, the duo connected again, and this time Hearn hit the layup and the foul shot to tie the game.
If Welsh-Ryan Arena was bubbling after the two buckets from Hearn, it exploded after Marcotullio hit a 3-pointer to give the Cats a 1-point lead with 10 minutes and 25 seconds remaining. The sequence of events began an 18-4 run for NU, leading to a 9-point lead it would never relinquish.
“I’m excited,” Hearn said of his mindset after his two layups. “It doesn’t seem like they were figuring out the 1-3-1. I could feel we’ve got momentum (going) our way, and I’m trying to get the crowd into it. Everyone on the team is excited, so that was a big momentum shift for us.”
Wednesday’s performance was sparked by graduate student Jared Swopshire, who had yet another strong performance for the Cats. He scored 16 points and added eight rebounds in the winning effort. He scored 8 of NU’s first 10 points, which coach Bill Carmody said was helpful because some of NU’s other key players were “invisible” in the first half.
Swopshire said the transition from being a role player at Louisville to being a main cog at NU has not been that difficult. He said he has started to feel more comfortable at NU, a fact which his play is starting to reflect.
“My coaches and my teammates have been encouraging me to stay more aggressive,” Swopshire said. “Our system makes it easy because the ball is always moving and the ball’s always in your hands, so it’s not too hard to be aggressive in it.”
