Northwestern spent 85% of Wednesday’s game against Rutgers in a deficit. For every bucket the Wildcats (12-4, 3-2 Big Ten) got, the Scarlet Knights (12-5, 4-2) would seemingly counter with just enough to stymie any hopes of momentum. The end result was a 40-minute end-to-end barnburner.

“It was just a really high level, Big Ten game,” coach Chris Collins said. “There were runs throughout the (game), and our guys hung in there. At times when we would have breaking points when the lead got to eight or nine points, we found a way to get some buckets.” 

In the buildup to Wednesday night, Collins told reporters the matchup was going to be physical and scrappy, where every possession elevated in importance as time ticked away. 

Collins’ pregame proclamation held true after Rutgers shot ahead in a 14-9 advantage, as NU’s best attempts to break down the Scarlet Knights were largely unsuccessful in the opening frame.

Rutgers’ half-court defense was suffocating as players converged on all dribble-drives, with coach Steve Pikiell seemingly content to concede shots on the perimeter. The Scarlet Knights also shuffled their defensive looks throughout the game, varying between man-to-man, 2-3 and 1-3-1 zones in the half-court. 

“With the way (Rutgers) changes defenses, presses and kind of junks up the game, they take you out of what you want to do,” Collins said. “They force you to just make plays (because) you can’t really run plays against them.”

That variability, compounded with Rutgers looking to take the ball out of the hands of NU’s two primary playmakers, troubled the hosts. The frequent double-teams sent towards redshirt senior guard Chase Audige and senior guard Boo Buie caused some offensive havoc, resulting in the Cats posting just 0.828 points per possession after 20 minutes of hoops. 

The 24-point halftime total was exacerbated by NU’s struggles from distance. The Cats entered the midweek contest generating 34.6% of their offense from the perimeter, despite knocking down just 31.6% of their threes. NU once again hoisted shots up from beyond the arc, attempting 12 first-half triples, but canned just three. 

“I didn’t think we were as aggressive enough as we needed to be in the first half,” Collins said.

Out of halftime, the Scarlet Knights maintained their separation, stretching the lead to 10 points halfway through the second half. Rutgers appeared to be on cruise control until Audige rattled off five points with just 5:06 remaining. 

Audige’s pair of buckets were part of a 10-0 NU run that saw them climb all the way back from the apparent brink of defeat. The Scarlet Knights, who had been in the driver’s seat all game, trailed the hosts for the first time, 53-52. 

Accordingly, the packed Welsh-Ryan Arena student section erupted in a chorus of cheers. 

“These games are so physically taxing and you can really be uplifted by the energy of our crowd,” Collins said. “I just thought the energy of the crowd really gave us that juice that we needed.”

The two teams embarked on a chaotic display over the final five minutes of action.

Sophomore guard Julian Roper II knocked down a pair of crucial buckets, including a bank-in triple with the shot clock expiring. Meanwhile, Rutgers, laden with experience, were unphased by the raucous environment and pressure, responding after every NU blow. 

It was fitting that in a game with such turbulence, it would come down to a chess match on the final possession.

Out of a timeout and down two points, Pikiell drew up a masterful offensive set to challenge the Cats’ pick-and-roll coverage. The play worked to perfection. 

Cam Spencer, the game’s leading scorer, drifted up the right wing unmarked — Audige was bumping center Clifford Omoruyi on the roll — before burying his sixth triple of the night and, more crucially, the game-winning bucket. 

NU proceeded to turn it over on the next possession before an Audige chuck at the buzzer missed the mark. 

It was a catastrophic close for a Cats team on the verge of securing a third-consecutive Big Ten victory. Both Collins and his players credited the Scarlet Knights for their execution late, but reiterated that there’s no time to wallow in the present, with focus now shifting to the next opponent: a road date with Michigan.

“After a win we don’t get too high, and after a loss we don’t get too low,” senior forward Robbie Beran said of the team’s mentality. “The good thing about basketball is we’ll be back at it; we don’t have to wait a week to play. We’ll attack the tape and find ways to get better.”

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