Heartbreak.
Iowa defeated Northwestern 80-79 on a last-second buzzer-beater Tuesday, giving the team its first loss of conference play.
Though the Wildcats (6-3, 0-1 Big Ten) maintained the lead down the stretch, Iowa’s Josh Dix hit a three-pointer as time expired to secure victory for the Hawkeyes (7-1, 1-0 Big Ten).
Senior guard Brooks Barnhizer led NU with 21 points while graduate student guard Ty Berry scored 20. Junior forward Nick Martinelli also poured in 19.
From the tip-off, the ’Cats worked from behind. NU fell behind 13-3, with its lone points coming off a three-pointer from junior forward Nick Martinelli. At the under-12 timeout, the ’Cats shot a mere 25% from both three-point range and the field as they trailed by seven.
NU’s defense seemed momentarily revitalized after the timeout, and a three from graduate student guard Ty Berry put the ’Cats down just four. But, from there, the offense continued to lull. However, Iowa didn’t slow down, posting a 60% field goal percentage, including 4-for-6 three-point shooting, heading into the under-8 timeout.
With just over five minutes left in the half, an ill-advised pass attempt from Barnhizer led to two fastbreak points for the Hawkeyes, giving them a game-high 17-point lead.
As the half continued to wind down, NU ventured on a 7-2 scoring run. It finished the half with a streak of six made field goals but trailed 45-34 as it headed into the break.
Similar trends continued into the second half, with NU shooting 3-for-8 in the first few minutes while Iowa maintained their double-digit lead. But then, the ’Cats went on a 10-0 run, with all 10 points coming from Barnhizer and Martinelli, bringing the Iowa lead to just three points.
NU wouldn’t stop there, going score for score with their opponent, and a tip-in from redshirt sophomore Luke Hunger gave the team their first lead of the game. All knotted up at 61-61, Martinelli tapped in a second-chance opportunity to give the ’Cats a two-point lead at the under-8 timeout.
Both teams hit cold streaks for the next few minutes, with the next points coming over two minutes later when graduate student center Matthew Nicholson extended NU’s lead to three.
After an Iowa three-pointer tied the game, Berry hit a clutch triple to retake the lead.
A pair of Martinelli buckets extended the NU lead to five points with 3:25 remaining, its largest of the game. Iowa managed to keep the score close, but the scoring continued for the ‘Cats, with a Berry layup bringing the lead back to five with under 90 seconds to go. After an Iowa score brought the lead to just one, Barnhizer was fouled and made both of his free throws, bringing the score to 78-75.
After being fouled, Berry had the chance to put NU up by three, but he missed his second free throw. With five seconds on the clock, Iowa possessed the ball, needing a two for the tie or a three for the win.
In a miracle heave from the logo, the Hawkeyes drilled the three and the ’Cats were handed their first loss in Big Ten play.
Here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s loss:
1. ‘Cats overcome poor first-half shooting
Though NU’s defense looked shotty early in the game, the poor offensive performance didn’t do the team any favors. Martinelli and Barnhizer, the team’s best scorers this season, each attempted only six shots, and the rest of the team shot just 40% on the half.
But the second half brought new energy and with it came a burst of scoring for the ‘Cats. NU scored 45 points in the second half as compared to 34 in the first, increasing its field goal percentage from 33% to 44%.
2. Three-headed monster spurs comeback
Three NU players logged double-digit scoring in the second half: Barnhizer, Berry and Martinelli. The three combined for 36 points, each scoring 12, as the ’Cats mounted the second-half comeback.
The three players provided clutch options for NU down the stretch, establishing a hierarchy of primary, secondary and tertiary scoring.
3. Berry finally finds form
Berry entered Tuesday’s contest averaging just 6.1 points per game, a five-point reduction from last year’s 11.6 per game clip. The graduate student fired 5-for-9 from deep, logging 20 points on a night when his scoring output was crucial for NU’s offense.
NU coach Chris Collins has defended Berry’s performance, attributing the guard’s lack of offense to recovery from the meniscus tear he suffered last season.
On Tuesday, Berry looked like the player he was a year ago.
The ‘Cats will be back in action on Friday against No. 19 Illinois. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
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