As Northwestern coach Chris Collins watched his team struggle physically in a 76-62 loss against Washington, one man sat on the bench, waiting to make his presence known.
Throughout the season, transfer junior center Arrinten Page has seen highs and lows, being removed from the starting lineup after a seven-point performance against Butler due to a team performance violation, then returning for a brief two-game cameo that ended after a poor first half against Nebraska.
But on Saturday, when the Wildcats’ (10-12, 2-9 Big Ten) starting trio of freshman guard Jake West, freshman forward Tyler Kropp and sophomore guard Max Green were unable to score, Page stepped up with 16 points in 26 minutes, his most in a game since NU’s 84-78 defeat against Minnesota on Jan. 3.
“I knew he was going to be important, and I’m glad he was ready to go,” Collins said.
The Atlanta native energized the crowd throughout the game, with his signature dunks being a catalyst in an 18-5 run that kept the ’Cats competitive against the Huskies (12-10, 4-7 Big Ten), who had lost four of their last five coming into the game.
Coming off a season-low three minutes against Penn State, Page put up eight rebounds, his highest total over the last five games. He also had a plus/minus of zero — the third highest on the team — and contributed a tied-for-season-high three blocks.
“When I made a quick move, it was more successful than letting the defense settle in,” Page said.
Washington forward Hannes Steinbach struggled against Page, putting up 15 points in his minutes with the duo both on the floor, with just four of them coming from inside the three-point arc.
Collins noted Page’s effort postgame, emphasizing his effect and ability to take over the game during the 18-5 run.
“He was more like the guy we saw early in the season that played so well, so hopefully that will be a positive that he can build on,” Collins said.
It became immediately apparent just how impactful Page was for NU during the game. In the minutes that Page did not play this game, his team was outscored 9-23. The ’Cats kept the game competitive when he was on the court throughout the day, being tied 53-53.
As the team continued to build momentum off of Page, it was clear to Collins that he would be a key player in the final few minutes of the game. That led to his decision to take Page out for a nearly three-minute break until after the under-eight-minute media timeout.
Despite an individual effort from the 6-foot-11 Page, no one besides him or senior forward Nick Martinelli was able to score after the seven-minute mark until there were 48 seconds left in the game, by which point the Huskies’ lead had ballooned to an insurmountable 18.
While Page has come off the bench the last few games, Collins said his starting lineup could change in the future.
Page, however, said he’s focused on just playing ball.
“I’m a basketball player, so whenever he puts me out there, I just play hard,” he said.
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