With 0.7 seconds remaining in overtime against Maryland, Northwestern graduate student guard Jalen Leach lined up for an inbound pass. He kicked it to junior forward Nick Martinelli who, with no time to dribble, chucked up a Hail Mary fadeaway.
The ball seemed to spin in slow motion as it hovered in thin air, eventually finding the geometric pattern of white nylon as the horn sounded.
Ballgame over.
Northwestern 76, Maryland 74. Final, overtime.
Theatrical smoke blared from behind the basket. The DJ queued up Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” After a spate of close losses throughout the season, NU finally found itself on the winning end.
The Wildcats (11-6, 2-4 Big Ten) picked up a much-needed win over the Terrapins (13-5, 3-4 Big Ten) Thursday, spurred by 22 points from Martinelli and 20 points from senior guard Brooks Barnhizer. NU snapped its three-game losing streak.
Thursday’s clash began as a back-and-forth affair promulgated by 11 lead changes in the first twenty minutes. Though Maryland struck first, freshman guard Angelo Ciaravino found graduate student center Matt Nicholson for NU’s first points after a bounce pass led to a Nicholson dunk.
From there, each team traded blows. Martinelli started firing early, utilizing his trademark flipper to score eight first-half points. Graduate student guard Ty Berry heated up, contributing 10 points in 12 minutes, while Barnhizer was content to take on a facilitating role, logging four assists and four rebounds in the first half.
Tied 28-28 thanks to a Berry triple on the prior possession, graduate student guard Jalen Leach chipped in a putback layup to give the ’Cats a 30-28 lead. Berry finished with 15 points Thursday.
NU mustered the final punch of the first half thanks to a Martinelli layup, taking a 38-37 lead into the half.
Though the Terrapins began the half on the front foot, Martinelli banged in a three-pointer to knot the game up at 46-46. Barnhizer converted a tough layup afterward to give the ’Cats a 48-46 lead with 14 minutes remaining in the game.
Barnhizer then converted a fast-break dunk, Berry drained another three, and Maryland called another timeout after surrendering a 10-point run, trailing 53-46 as Welsh-Ryan Arena lost its mind.
NU held the lead for a majority of the second half, but Maryland’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie drove home a layup to know the game up with six seconds left. Barnhizer’s attempt at a game-winner bounced off the rim and the two teams huddled up for five minutes of free basketball.
The Terrapins scored first in overtime, winning the opening tip and knocking down a second-chance jumper after a pivotal offensive rebound.
Martinelli turned the ball over on NU’s first overtime possession, but Leach stole it back and Berry got to the foul line to tie the game at 70 apiece.
Leading 72-70, Gillespie committed an unfathomable 10-second violation, giving the ’Cats the ball back.
With seconds left on the shot clock during the ensuing possession, Martinelli shot his trademark flipper, though it looked more like a prayer. It hit pay dirt. 72-72, two minutes left.
Both teams traded misses before NU inbounded with 30.8 seconds left. Barnhizer, clearly fouled to the point where Maryland defenders stopped defending, was not given a trip to the free throw line. Instead, he converted the wide-open layup to put NU on top, 74-72, with 13.3 seconds left.
Again, Gillespie raced to the rim, converting a layup to tie the game with 6.9 seconds left in the first overtime period.
Then, Martinelli took a shot. The rest was history.
Here are three takeaways from Thursday’s tilt.
- Ciaravino makes first career start
Ciaravino, the 6-foot-6 guard from Chicago, stepped onto Welsh-Ryan Arena’s hardwood for the opening tip for the first time in his career. He became the first NU freshman to start in a Big Ten game since Julian Roper on March 6, 2022.
Ciaravino’s performance began with rookie mistakes, as expected. He demonstrated a knack for finding players in space early, assisting on the first points of the game, but made some rookie mistakes. Midway through the game’s first ten minutes, the freshman missed badly on a three-point attempt.
He committed a turnover on his next shift, throwing a pass toward Nicholson beyond the baseline. But something clicked with nine minutes left in the first half, around the time the boisterous student section began chanting his name.
The freshman finished with three points and an assist in 16 minutes played. Berry’s hot hand cut into his playing time. But during a contest hanging in the balance, Ciaravino held his own. He fought hard defensively, got himself open and put together a positive first impression that should have coach Chris Collins giving him extended run for the rest of the season.
- Defense wins championships
The ’Cats stymied Maryland’s usually high-powered offense, causing 16 turnovers and holding the Terrapins to 38% from the field.
Everything clicked for NU on the defensive end. It gave Maryland forward Derik Queen, a freshman phenom averaging 16 points, conniptions all evening. Queen finished with just nine points, four fouls and five turnovers.
Nicholson and graduate student guard Keenan Fitzmorris contributed prolific post defense, with Fitzmorris logging three blocks Thursday. The ’Cats met the Terrapins at the rim seven times, taking away surefire baskets en route to victory.
- Brooks Barnhizer, stat-sheet stuffer
After two uncharacteristically quiet games from Barnhizer, the senior found his form once again, logging a double-double. Barnhizer scored 20 points, notching 10 rebounds and five assists.
Defensively, the Lafayette, Indiana native contributed two steals and a two blocks.
Combined with Martinelli’s post proficiency, the roommates contributed the lion’s share of the ’Cats’ scoring. When both players are on their game, NU’s presence on both ends of the court has the ability to shock some teams as Big Ten play progresses.
NU will be on the road to take on No. 20 Michigan this Sunday. The Wolverines lost earlier today on an overtime buzzer-beater to last-place Minnesota.
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