Following a narrowly-missed comeback to UCLA at Welsh-Ryan Arena, a battered Northwestern squad traveled to face No. 13 Maryland in its final game of the regular season Saturday.
Staring down a Terrapin (24-7, 14-6 Big Ten) team that boasts the most lethal scoring differential in the conference, the Wildcats (16-15, 7-13 Big Ten) held their own in a back-and-forth first half before the hosts ultimately handed them a convincing 74-61 loss.
When graduate student guard Ty Berry knocked down a 3-pointer and graduate student center Matthew Nicholson followed with a block on the other end to give NU a 9-6 lead at the first-half 16-minute media timeout, it was clear the veteran duo intended to carry their gritty senior night performances from the team’s previous outing into the East Coast road trip.
But the pair couldn’t sustain the momentum.
As has been the case in many games this season, junior forward Nick Martinelli’s team-leading 28-point performance wasn’t enough to push NU to victory without consistent contributions from the rest of coach Chris Collins’s offense. Martinelli accounted for nearly half of the team’s total points, with no other player besides Berry reaching double figures.
Both teams traded baskets throughout the first half, but neither could find a rhythm from beyond the arc, combining for just three 3-pointers by halftime. Maryland led 32-29 at the break.
While the ’Cats kept the game within reach for most of the second half, a 14-4 Terrapin run around the 7:30 mark dashed any hopes of an upset victory.
Here are three takeaways from NU’s Saturday loss to the Terrapins:
1. Maryland dominates on the glass
Facing one of Big Ten’s preeminent frontcourt duo’s in Maryland’s Julian Reese and Derik Queen, the ’Cats had their work cut out from them on the glass from the opening tip, and the Terrapin big men delivered.
The hosts outpaced NU on the glass 45-23, as Reese and Queen combined for 21 total boards.
With 8:34 remaining in the first half, Nicholson picked up his second personal foul, which sidelined him until after the break. Nicholson played just eight minutes in the opening half, splitting time with graduate student center Keenan Fitzmorris and redshirt sophomore forward Luke Hunger.
The trio was simply unable to keep up with the Terrapins’ prolific post performance.
As Nicholson fouled out with three minutes left to play, Maryland extended its lead to its highest point of the day as it ran down the clock to hand NU a convincing loss.
2. Martinelli continues his record-breaking form
After 20 minutes of play, Martinelli had already scored 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while the rest of the team shot just 27.8% from the floor. In a standout first-half performance, the Glenview, Illinois native surpassed several program milestones, including the longest double-digit scoring streak at 24 games and the record for most made field goals in a single season.
With just over two minutes left in the half, Martinelli took a hit to the midsection from a Maryland defender and was slow to get up off the floor. Appearing briefly shaken, he still managed to sink back-to-back free throws, capping off his run of 10-straight points without another NU player contributing.
Martinelli still seemed shuddered by the blow as junior guard Justin Mullins went coast-to-coast for and an-one fastbreak dunk and freshman guard Angelo Ciaravino took over in his stead with 44 seconds on the clock.
But after Ciarvino recorded a quick foul, Martinelli re-entered immediately and played unphased for the rest of the game.
After halftime, NU’s leading scorer and reigning Big Ten player of the week continued his dominant, record breaking form. His team-high 28 points made him the third-highest single-season scorer in program history.
3. The road ahead
Barring an unlikely series of upsets across the final weekend of regular-season conference play, the ’Cats will turn their attention to the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, which kicks off Wednesday.
With the loss to Maryland, NU can secure its spot in the tournament with a win by UCLA, Nebraska or Rutgers. However, if all three teams lose their respective home games, the ’Cats will miss the postseason.
After dropping their final two games of the regular season, what was already a slim chance at an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament now seems nearly impossible. If NU hopes to extend its March Madness streak to three seasons, a Big Ten Tournament title is a must.
Email: audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu
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