Northwestern had little to be thankful for in its Thanksgiving evening clash with Oklahoma State, falling 86-81 in a game that ended past midnight in a largely empty United Center.
The Wildcats (5-2, 0-0 Big Ten) stuck with the Cowboys (7-0, 0-0 Big 12) from wire-to-wire but were ultimately undone by recurring rebounding troubles and uncharacteristic 3-point-shooting woes.
Senior forward Nick Martinelli put on a masterclass of inside scoring, showcasing a mix of touch and physicality in a 28-point, 10-rebound effort that eventually proved futile. Sophomore guard Angelo Ciaravino added 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, 11 of which came in the second half as NU attempted to stage a late rally.
The late-night tilt was the second of two games played as part of the Thanksgiving Classic Chicago at the United Center, after No. 4 Duke took down No. 22 Arkansas 80-71 in the opening act.
The ’Cats trailed for the vast majority of the first half as they struggled to contain a lightning-quick Cowboys offense and came up empty on a slew of open looks. Oklahoma State opened up a 15-7 lead early, but NU hung around and closed the deficit as junior guard Jayden Reid upped his aggression following a quiet start.
The ’Cats took their first lead in over 13 minutes when freshman forward Tre Singleton sunk a pair of free throws to put them ahead 34-33 at the 3:55 mark. They took an unlikely 40-39 advantage into the locker room despite sloppy all-around play.
NU came out of the interval with purpose, embarking on an early 6-0 run that included two signature Martinelli buckets to go up 46-40. However, a Reid flagrant foul snapped the momentum back in the Cowboys’ direction and they quickly regained the lead.
An 18-6 Oklahoma State run midway through the second half broke the game open and gave the Cowboys a 70-62 lead with 6:05 remaining.
The ’Cats made one last run, cutting the lead to as little as one in the final minute, but Reid air-balled what would have been a game-tying three with under 30 seconds remaining and the Cowboys closed from the free-throw line.
Here are three takeaways from NU’s Thanksgiving loss to Oklahoma State:
1. Rebounding struggles… again
For the third straight game, NU struggled mightily on the defensive glass and was made to pay for its persistent inability to box out.
The ’Cats gave up 15 offensive rebounds on the night, allowing the Cowboys to score 20 second-chance points.
Barely a minute had elapsed when Cowboy forward Parsa Fallah was most active to an air-balled 3-point attempt, cashing in on a put-back layup for the game’s first points. A similar sequence played out twice more in quick succession, and Oklahoma State led 8-3 at the first media timeout with all eight of its points coming on second-chance opportunities.
Despite cleaning up their lacklustre performance on the boards for much of the middle of the contest, rebounding once again came back to bite the ’Cats in the clutch, allowing two Cowboy offensive rebounds and a third-chance layup when trailing by four points with under two minutes remaining.
Defensive rebounding issues represented a crippling pattern in NU’s two games at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia last weekend.
In their 83-78 loss to Virginia, the ’Cats conceded a staggering 21 offensive rebounds, allowing the Cavaliers to convert 18 second-chance points. That achilles heel was only slightly mitigated in a 79-77 win over South Carolina, as the Gamecocks grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and scored 17 second-chance points.
In its prior game, an 81-79 win at DePaul, NU allowed 16 offensive rebounds and 20 second-chance points.
Coach Chris Collins will have much to improve on the defensive glass if his team is to make a dent against the fiercest foes the Big Ten has to offer.
2. 3-point shooting goes cold
NU entered the night shooting 41.9% from beyond the arc, the highest mark in the Big Ten and the sixth-highest in the nation.
But against Oklahoma State, the ’Cats’ long-distance prowess was nowhere to be found. They connected on just 3-of-19 3-point attempts throughout the night, a 15.8% showing.
Singleton came up empty from downtown on the night, missing all five of his attempts and continuing a rocky 3-point-shooting start to his NU career.
After providing a crucial spark against South Carolina, making 3-of-4 threes, sophomore guard Max Green failed to maintain his unconscious distance shooting. He missed both of his 3-pointers, though he did nail a catch-and-shoot mid-range jumper in the first half and a step-back long 2-pointer to beat the shot clock midway through the second half.
Similarly, sophomore guard K.J. Windham was handed 10 minutes of first-half floor time in an apparent attempt to play him into form after he failed to score more than three points in each of NU’s last five games. Windham did not capitalize, shooting 0-for-3 from 3-point land, which included a low-percentage heave as time expired in the first half.
Windham did snap his scoring slump by earning free-throw opportunities, notching seven points, all of which came from the charity stripe.
Collins has accepted culpability for his failure to create shots for Green and Windham, whom he has called his team’s two best shooters. With neither converting on slightly increased usage Thursday, their volume will have to increase over a larger period of time if Collins is to reap rewards from his long-range snipers.
Fortunately for NU, the Cowboys went step-for-step with it in terms of 3-point profligacy for much of the contest, only sinking 6-of-22. Both sides appeared to be affected by the United Center’s black NBA 3-point line encircling the white college line, as they each took several shots from behind the lengthier arc.
However, Oklahoma State caught fire at exactly the right time, with guard Anthony Roy splashing three shots from beyond the arc during its decisive 18-6 run. That was enough to decide a cagey battle that was otherwise played inside-out.
3. Tight clashes raise more questions than answers as Big Ten gauntlet looms
Thursday’s Thanksgiving special was NU’s final clash before it begins Big Ten play, traveling to Wisconsin next Wednesday to take on the Badgers (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten).
Heading into a grueling conference slate which Collins often describes as a “20-round bout,” the ’Cats have faced four significant tests against power-5 opponents, coming out on top in two.
On paper, Thursday’s loss is a competitive showing against an emergent squad. The Cowboys received two votes in the most recent AP Poll after winning their opening six matchups, their best start to a season since 2020-21.
Yet, despite playing out another contest decided by razor-thin margins, NU looked like a team still very much finding its footing. Its offensive sets lacked fluidity, rebounding remains an issue and Singleton has had his fair share of freshman moments despite evident talent.
That the ’Cats have nevertheless managed to keep games tight is a sign of toughness that will serve them well in high-pressure moments. But little can prepare NU’s young squad for the adrenaline rush that will kick in when it takes to the floor surrounded by a cacophony of noise in Madison.
The gauntlet is forthcoming. Are the ’Cats ready? Only time will tell.
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