While Northwestern feasted on the energy of a buzzing Welsh-Ryan Arena for much of the first half, the size and versatility of No. 13 Illinois eventually proved too much for the Wildcats (8-9, 0-6 Big Ten) in Wednesday’s 79-68 rivalry loss.
NU, which had won its last three games against the Fighting Illini (14-3, 5-1 Big Ten) in Evanston, couldn’t extend the streak Wednesday despite a career-high 28 points from junior guard Jayden Reid in his first game off the bench all season.
“We are playing really hard, that is what’s frustrating,” coach Chris Collins said. “We were all over the place with our energy, and I’m just heartbroken (for) the players that they’re not getting to see the rewards of that effort.”
Illinois’ towering front court makes them the tallest in the country, according to KenPom, which posed a threat for an undersized ’Cats rotation, leading to only 18 paint points for NU. The height played a major role in limiting the NCAA’s Division I leading scorer, senior forward Nick Martinelli, to just 20 points.
Freshman guard Jake West, who appeared in a heavily altered starting lineup over Reid, could only manage three points and two assists. He received his first starting nod after logging 31 minutes in a 77-75 overtime loss to Rutgers, the most of a ’Cats first-year guard since Boo Buie in 2020.
West was accompanied by junior forward Arrinten Page, who had been missing from the starting five for four games after “violating team standards,” though Collins has credited some of those benchings to tactics. Page finished the night with seven points on as many shot attempts in a subdued effort.
Despite Illinois jumping out to an early lead, the ’Cats took the fight to their in-state rival throughout the first half, driving their way to the foul line for seven free throws in the period.
Similarly, after the ’Cats started off 0-for-4 from 3-point range, they turned it around, hitting three of their next four, including a 4-point play from Reid on his outstanding night.
“Certainly it’s [Reid’s] best game for us,” coach Chris Collins said. “Hopefully that can be the start of what’s to come for him, because we have a lot of belief in what he can do.”
But Illinois countered each time NU got ahead, and after eight first-half lead changes, it ran off to a five-point halftime advantage. Unfortunately for the ’Cats faithful in attendance, NU would never lead again Wednesday.
Out of the break, three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week Keaton Wagler got hot for Illinois, giving multiple NU defenders trouble and finishing with 22 points. Behind Wagler’s efforts, Illinois roared ahead to a 15-point lead, its largest of the game.
After multiple technical fouls on Illinois and back-to-back Reid baskets, NU closed the gap to just four with a little under five minutes to go.
But as much of the game went, Illinois closed out the ’Cats 10-5 behind two huge 3-pointers from forward Tomislav Ivišić.
“You can keep having stretches of being in the game and then not being able to get it done. At one point, you just have to change,” Martinelli said. “It’s just mental mistakes, and it’s not coming from a bad place from anybody, but we just can’t have those types of mental mistakes at the end of games if we want to win.”
NU will look to find its footing once more at home with Saturday’s contest against No. 8 Nebraska.
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