Close, but no cigar. 

The age-old phrase has become an almost perfect representation for Northwestern’s season. And nowhere was it more evident than Saturday at Welsh-Ryan Arena, where the Wildcats faced off against in-state rival No. 24 Illinois.

For an NU (9-10, 2-8 Big Ten) team in desperate need of a marquee victory, it certainly seemed like the opportune moment. A sold-out crowd with a jam-packed student section created a tense atmosphere ripe for a potential upset.

“We appreciate it,” graduate student forward Elyjah Williams said of the support. “Getting that home crowd and home court advantage is a great feeling.”

When the ball was tipped, the Cats fell behind early, but they battled back to close the first half down only by five. Coming out of the intermission, they struck with impressive precision. It’s a familiar narrative to anyone who has watched this team this season. 

NU and Illinois exchanged blows for the rest of the second half, but it was the visiting Illini who made just a couple more plays down the stretch to secure a victory. The loss to Illinois marks the Cats’ seventh Big Ten defeat by eight points or fewer. NU has shown it can hang with the best of them, but it can’t always deliver that knockout blow in the final round.

“We do not like where we are,” coach Chris Collins said. “We didn’t envision ourselves being where we are halfway through the season. We feel like we have played better than what our record is, but you are what you’ve earned.”

Senior forward Pete Nance was the catalyst for the Cats’ resurgence in the second half. The Ohio native had 12 of his team-high 21 points in the second period. His efforts from the mid-range and beyond the arc helped secure NU a 49-44 lead with just under seven minutes to play.

Nevertheless, Illinois, behind national player of the year candidate Kofi Cockburn and a stout defense, clutched up in the game’s dying moments. The Illini rank 26th in defensive efficiency in the country, per KenPom, and held the Cats to 35.7% shooting from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range.

Despite the superb defensive efforts from Illinois, NU was also victim to their shotmaking — or lack thereof. Still, though, Collins was content with the shots they got late.

“Are we getting bad shots? No,” Collins said of the late game looks that didn’t fall. He pointed to several individual good looks in the closing minutes. “You have to just keep coming to the drawing board. You’ve got to stay confident, even though it’s hard.”

The Cats have now completed 50% of a grueling conference slate which featured six matchups against top 25 opponents. However, with one chapter closing, a new one begins. The back half of the Big Ten season affords NU the opportunity to prove they can close out some tight matches. Only two bouts against Top 25 opponents remain: Illinois and Purdue. 

It’s been a rough three months for a squad with high preseason expectations, but players and coaches alike expressed optimism they can turn things around.

“Who’s to say we can’t flip the script and win as many as we can on the back half?” Nance said. “We know we’re close. We know we’re a good team. We have confidence in each other, and we’ve just worked too hard to not get over the hump.”

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