Northwestern is starting to get national attention, and deservingly so. Coming off of a wire-to-wire victory in Bloomington, Indiana on Sunday, the Wildcats (12-4, 3-2 Big Ten) got their first taste of last-second basketball in the new year. NU came up just short offensively on a rampant late-second-half run, falling to Rutgers (12-5, 4-2 Big Ten) 65-62.

Although the game was predicted to be low-scoring ahead of the defensive-dominant matchup, it was  crucial for the Cats to execute the offensive end of the board perfectly if they wanted to continue their win streak. Walking into this game, NU had an 84-point performance against the Hoosiers and proved worthy of March Madness contention. Yet, the squad struggled to get into that high offensive drive, missing essential opportunities at the basket. 

Senior forward Robbie Beran addressed the Cats’ offensive struggles facing Rutgers, a team that is as defensively elite as them. 

“(Defense) is their calling card as well,” Beran said. “We knew that they would throw us different looks and keep us on our toes. They were able to make more plays than us at the end.” 

However, senior guard Boo Buie continued to be a bright spot for the NU’s offense, trying to build momentum on the offensive end. Fresh off a 26-point performance on Sunday, the New York native tied Cats scorers with a team best of 13 points, while also adding seven assists. 

NU continued to face a deficit throughout the first half. While the Cats had multiple scoring draughts in the first period, key three-pointers by redshirt senior guard Chase Audige and junior forward Ty Berry ensured that the Welsh-Ryan Arena crowd remained hostile. 

Shooting from beyond the arc was an issue for the Cats, especially in the first half. The Wildcats had difficulties cutting into the Scarlet Knights’ lead for a large portion of the game, missing many wide open threes. The Cats shot 3-12 from downtown in the first half. 

Coach Chris Collins spoke about the Cats’ improved field goal shooting in the second half, where the Wildcats shot 12-24. 

“We had a little more of an attacking nature in the second half,” Collins said. “We got into the paint a little more, and getting in the bonus allowed us to get to the line more.” 

Nevertheless, Berry continued to uplift the Welsh-Ryan crowd when it saw itself quiet down. Going on a personal 5-0 run to start the second half, the Kansas native cut NU’s deficit to 2. When the Cats faced their first double digit deficit of the game late in the first half, the junior forward buried a three, keeping the Wildside faithful in it. Berry tied all NU leading scorers with 13 points, propelling the Cats whenever they saw their deficit increase further. 

Foul trouble for Rutgers in the second half ignited NU’s late comeback. While the Cats attempted 13 foul shots, they could only hit 7. 

Audige came alive late in the second half, propelling the Cats to a 10-0 run down the stretch. A pullup three, driving layup by the New York native and a steal leading to a three by Beran provided the Cats with its first lead of the contest at three with three minutes to go. Audige continued his excellent play on both ends, scoring 12 points with three blocks and two steals. 

The student section at Welsh-Ryan was already loud as NU went on its rapid run, but it was at a whole other level in the final minute. With the shot clock winding down, sophomore guard Julian Roper II threw up a desperate heave that miraculously went in, giving the Cats a four-point lead — their highest of the game — with less than a minute to play.  

Despite the heart-breaking loss, Collins stressed the importance of continued student turnout to influence offensive success. 

“When our students show up like that and in full force, this can be a really difficult place,” Collins said. “The energy in the building was awesome. Our players fed off it. I hope (the students) will stick with us because (our players) are really fighting hard and they’re a fun team to get behind.” 

The Cats hope to put Wednesday’s heartbreaking loss in the rearview mirror as they travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan to play Michigan Sunday afternoon. 

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