Senior guard Brooks Barnhizer, the team’s captain, made his season debut as Northwestern took down Montana State 72-69 Tuesday.

In his return to the Welsh-Ryan Arena hardwood, Barnhizer scored 20 points, logging a double-double by bagging 10 rebounds. He also contributed four assists. 

Junior forward Nick Martinelli led the Wildcats (4-1, 0-0 Big Ten) with 22 points as NU earned its fourth non-conference win of the year.

Missed offensive chances plagued NU early. Montana State took an early two-point lead, but Martinelli’s signature ‘flipper’ shot knotted the contest.

A handful of close-range shots, including Barnhizer’s first points of the season, kept the ’Cats close. A three-pointer from Leach right before the game’s first media timeout gave NU an 11-8 lead.

The ’Cats couldn’t find much more offense in the next few minutes, with their only points between the first and second media timeouts coming via a Barnhizer three-point shot. The Bobcat defense was stout in the first eight minutes of the half, forcing two blocks, a steal and two turnovers.

Montana State’s Brian Goracke drained a three-pointer to take the lead back with just over 10 minutes left in the first half. Max Agbonkpolo knocked in a layup on the following Bobcats possession, and the ’Cats found themselves trailing by 17-14.

Down 20-16, Barnhizer converted a crucial free throw after drawing a foul on a made layup to cut the Montana State lead to one. The senior guard converted a layup on the following possession to give NU a one-point lead, but Tyler Patterson followed that up with a corner three-pointer. 

The teams traded blows for the next two minutes, with Montana State carrying a 29-27 lead at the four-minute timeout. Out of the timeout, the Bobcats put together a five-point scoring run, with their lead extending to 36-31. Freshman guard Angelo Ciaravino broke the streak with just over a minute left in the half off a hard-fought jumper that earned him a three-point play.

The ’Cats went into the break trailing 39-34. Barnhizer led NU with 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists through the first 20 minutes. 

Martinelli got NU started early in the second half with a tough jumper to cut the Bobcat lead to three. Northwestern continued to trail until the junior drained another bucket with a little under 17 minutes remaining. That was its first lead since Barnhizer hit a layup with 6:17 remaining in the first half. 

Martinelli continued to heat up throughout the second half, scoring 10 of NU’s 12 points before the under-16-minute timeout.

Coming out of the timeout with a deadlocked ballgame, the ’Cats continued to heat up. With 13 minutes remaining, graduate student guard Ty Berry hit his first three-pointer of the game. A possession later, he did it again, extending the lead to six.

During a 3:17 scoring drought, the Bobcats retook the lead after a Brandon Walker three-pointer. A Martinelli layup on the following possession tied the game at 54.

Late in the half, jumpers by Martinelli and Barnhizer gave NU a 65-62 lead, allowing the ’Cats to slow down the pace of the game. But Montana State answered, burying a triple to knot the contest at 67-67 with 46.9 seconds remaining.

Graduate student center Matthew Nicholson and Barnhizer delivered the final nail in the coffin with a big alley-oop to take a 69-67 lead. Berry forced a steal on the ensuing possession. NU won the free throw game and secured a win in the contest.

Here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s matchup.

1. Welcome back, Brooks Barnhizer

The senior guard returned to the starting lineup for the first time this season. He only needed just over three minutes to get his first bucket of the season. Barnhizer was the clear leader on offense during the first half, accumulating 14 points and eight rebounds.

Barnhizer’s second half wasn’t as staggering because of early foul trouble, but his performance bodes well for upcoming contests.

2. ’Cats struggle early on both sides of the ball

While NU put up 34 points in the first half, its offense left a lot on the table. The ’Cats were 2-of-11 from beyond the arc and 14-of-35 from the field in the first 20 minutes of play. NU had similar struggles from beyond the arc in its last game against Eastern Illinois. It didn’t help that the Bobcat defense also forced five turnovers, four steals and three blocks during that stretch.

Montana State’s 39 first-half points were the most NU has allowed in the first frame all season. It also marks the first time the ’Cats trailed heading into halftime. Northwestern didn’t seem to have an early answer for the Bobcats’ offense. Montana State shot an impressive 15-of-29 from the field and 4-of-10 on three-pointers in the first half.

The ’Cats mostly tightened up on offense and defense in the second half, but their early miscues dug them into a hole that most Big Ten teams would not let them climb out of.

3. Martinelli’s second-half surge propels NU to victory

With Barnhizer on the bench for much of the second half, Martinelli led the ’Cats’ offensive production as he did early on this season. The Glenview, Illinois native scored the first points of the half and tallied 10 points before the halfway mark of the final 20 minutes. Martinelli scored just six in the first frame. The junior forward scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half.

Martinelli’s jumper with 3:49 remaining was one of the many instances where he ignited life back into the offense, securing a 63-62 lead.

The ’Cats return to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Friday to take on Pepperdine. 

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