Coach Chris Collins has repeatedly mentioned the need for Northwestern to put last season’s soaring heights in the rearview mirror.
While this includes all of the accomplishments of his team, which finished the 2022-23 regular season ranked second in the Big Ten, the same can be said about the Wildcats’ (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten) inability to finish games against formidable conference opponents like Penn State last season.
NU dropped both of its matchups to the Nittany Lions (8-8, 2-3 Big Ten) in overtime on two key dates — Senior Day and the team’s Big Ten Tournament opener.
Traveling to University Park to start their two-game road trip, the ‘Cats held true to their coach’s words and broke their bad luck spell against Penn State, earning a 76-72 victory.
While the Nittany Lions roster has experienced significant overhaul from last season, including former coach Micah Shrewsberry’s departure for Notre Dame, NU’s midweek contest still was very much evenly-poised.
Throughout the first half, the ‘Cats looked on their way toward a sixth consecutive loss to their conference foe. Committing three turnovers in the game’s opening minutes, Collins’ squad fell into an early 6-0 deficit.
By intermission, NU committed seven turnovers — two more than the five it had in Sunday’s victory over Michigan State.
But after closing out the half on a blistering 20-5 run against Michigan State last time out, NU used another 15-point swing to pull away after initial offensive struggles.
With nearly 15 minutes remaining in the game, the ‘Cats started generating multiple consecutive successful offensive possessions, looking eerily similar to the offense that scored 88 points Sunday.
Combining for 26 of the ‘Cats 44 second-half points, graduate student guard Boo Buie and junior guard Brooks Barnhizer’s offensive prowess lifted the offense when it continued to commit turnovers.
Buie’s layup and Barnhizer’s jumper capped a 15-0 NU scoring run and turned an 8-point deficit into a 7-point lead midway through the second frame.
Buie’s points down this scalding stretch also moved him up the program’s ranks. Finishing with 17 points, the senior guard rose to fourth place among all-time scorers in NU history.
The ‘Cats held true to their defensive identity over this stretch, holding the Nittany Lions scoreless for over six minutes. By staying active in the passing lanes and restricting the Nittany Lions from beyond the arc, NU made it difficult for Penn State’s offense to generate any offensive momentum.
Sophomore forward Nick Martinelli and Barnhizer’s steals were part of six NU-forced steals in the second frame. At the same time, the ‘Cats defense limited the Nittany Lions to a 1-of-10 clip from beyond the arc in the first half and a 3-of-17 conversion rate throughout Wednesday’s contest.
Once the ‘Cats claimed the lead, they did not look back. Barnhizer’s three and layup extended NU’s lead to seven — its highest of the contest — with two minutes remaining.
Barnhizer tallied a game-high 23 points, with 17 coming in the second half alone. The junior guard shot at a 6-of-7 clip in the frame.
While its near-six minute stretch was impressive, Collins’ team will need to ensure it can play at this high level over both halves.
As they prepare for a trip to Madison to square off against No. 15 Wisconsin on Saturday, the ‘Cats must put together a complete game to capture their third consecutive victory over the Badgers.
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