In its final non-conference bout of the season, Northwestern overcame a slow start to defeat Howard 80-60 at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Tuesday evening.
The Wildcats (8-5, 0-2 Big Ten) were led by senior forward Nick Martinelli, who returned to the floor after missing NU’s previous contest against Butler with a concussion. Martinelli tallied 32 points against the Bison (9-6, 0-0 MEAC).
“This was a really good win for us coming off the Butler game and the disruption of Nick with a concussion,” coach Chris Collins said.
The ’Cats held Howard to 60 points, their fourth straight game holding an opponent to 70 points or less.
Junior center Arrinten Page did not play in the contest due to “a violation of team standards,” the Big Ten Network broadcast crew announced before the game.
NU lost the opening tip-off, but after two missed shots from each squad, Martinelli knocked down two free throws for the game’s first points. After allowing their first basket, the ’Cats ventured on a 5-0 scoring run to nab an early lead. The teams traded runs during the middle of the half, with Howard taking an 8-0 run before the ’Cats went on a 10-0 run.
NU was powered by senior guard Justin Mullins, who drilled three 3-pointers in a five-minute span. The ’Cats nabbed a nine-point lead, but the Bison kept the score close down the stretch, their deficit hovering around four points as the game approached halftime. After 20 minutes of play, NU led 31-28.
Despite the ’Cats scoring first in the second half, Howard did not let the game get out of hand. The Bison kept their deficit under 10 points until just seven minutes remained in the contest, when NU pulled ahead, taking a 66-51 lead with under five minutes to play.
The ’Cats maintained a comfortable lead during the final minutes and ended their non-conference slate with a big 80-60 victory.
Here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s win:
1. Mullins’ lights-out shooting propels ’Cats
In the first half, senior guard Justin Mullins tallied a team-leading 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting, with all of his shots coming from distance. It was the second time this season that he scored 12 points in one half.
This performance marked just the sixth double-digit scoring performance from an NU bench player this season. Second-unit scoring has been far from consistent for the ’Cats, but occasional games like this help power NU to important wins.
Though the ’Cats led by just three points at the half and Mullins did not score in the second half, he still made his presence on the court felt. Near the middle of the second half, he missed his first shot of the contest but kept his focus on the play, racing downcourt and blocking a Howard fastbreak layup attempt.
NU tallied six blocks for just the second time in its last seven games.
The ’Cats saw similar non-scoring impacts from their other bench players. Sophomore guard Max Green, despite not entering the scoring column, tallied five assists, one block and one steal. Freshman guard Jake West posted four assists and two steals on top of six points.
2. First-half paint play suffers in Page’s absence
After starting in each of NU’s games this season, junior center Arrinten Page spent the entirety of the ’Cats’ final non-conference contest on the bench.
“You saw Arrinten wasn’t out there today,” Collins said. “When the standards aren’t met, there are things that come along with that.”
Page is the tallest player on NU’s roster at 6’11” and is averaging 6.8 rebounds per game. In his absence, NU struggled on the glass and around the hoop.
In the first 20 minutes of the contest, the ’Cats were outrebounded 20-10, with Howard nabbing seven offensive rebounds to NU’s zero. The Bison scored 10 of their 28 first-half points in the paint.
Martinelli, along with freshman forward Tre Singleton and sophomore guard Angelo Ciaravino, stepped in as the replacement bigs for the ’Cats.
Martinelli, one of the top scorers across the Big Ten, didn’t miss a beat in his return to action. He stuffed the stat sheet with 32 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. He benefited greatly from opportunities at the charity stripe, where he shot 11-for-14.
Singleton overcame a quiet first half and posted a career-high 17 points along with eight rebounds and two blocks. 13 of his points and six of his rebounds came in the second half.
“Best game he’s played,” Collins said of Singleton. “It put a smile on my face seeing him that aggressive.”
Ciaravino grabbed 11 rebounds, nine of which came in the second half.
After a back-and-forth first half, strong rebounding and paint scoring propelled NU to a strong victory. The ’Cats tallied 28 second-half points at the dish and outrebounded Howard 26-15 in the second period.
3. ’Cats prepare for treacherous Big Ten schedule
In its two conference contests in early December, NU could not muster a victory and caught a glimpse of the quality of the foes to come. Three of the ’Cats next five opponents are ranked in the top 25 of the AP Poll, and seven Big Ten teams are currently ranked.
Though NU will continue conference play having won three of its last four games, the ’Cats will face some opponents in the next few weeks stronger than they’ve seen all year. NU has also won just two games on the road or at neutral sites, and it will travel to some of the toughest atmospheres in the country.
Last season, the ’Cats went 7-13 in conference play. They will be looking for more strong outings from Martinelli and Singleton along with the return of Page as they try to improve on last year’s performance.
“I expect to move forward, this was something for today’s game.” Collins said of Page’s benching.
NU opens the new year by hosting Minnesota on Saturday.
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