Northwestern finally found its footing Thursday night, rolling past Penn State 94-73 at Welsh-Ryan Arena to pick up a much-needed Big Ten win. The Wildcats jumped out early, set the tone with hot shooting, and never let the Nittany Lions threaten their lead after halftime. Senior forward Nick Martinelli powered the offense as college basketball’s top scorer, while freshman and sophomore guards Tre Singleton and Angelo Ciaravino both put up their career highs. After weeks of frustration, the ’Cats finally looked confident and firmly in control from start to finish.
Freshman forward Tyler Kropp got his third start of the season, putting up five points on 2-for-4 shooting from the field. (Luke Meinhardt/The Daily Northwestern)Freshman guard Jake West and junior guard Jayden Reid bow to each other in a pregame ritual. (Luke Meinhardt/The Daily Northwestern)Junior guard Jayden Reid, playing on limited minutes, had just 2 points on 1-for-3 shooting. (Luke Meinhardt/The Daily Northwestern)The ’Cats shot a remarkable 54.5% (12-22) from beyond the arc, a large jump from their season average of 32%. (Luke Meinhardt/The Daily Northwestern)Freshman guard Jake West dished out a career-high 13 assists, stepping into his role as a true point guard. (Luke Meinhardt/The Daily Northwestern)Northwestern’s physicality finally showed up on Thursday night as they outrebounded the Nittany Lions 34-21, despite struggles on the glass through the rest of the season. (Luke Meinhardt/The Daily Northwestern)The ’Cats outscored the Nittany Lions in the paint 42-38 and on second chance points 14-4, highlighting their physical dominance. (Luke Meinhardt/The Daily Northwestern)Freshman guard Jake West got his first start of the season against Illinois on Jan. 14 and has held onto that position, starting all five games since then. (Luke Meinhardt/The Daily Northwestern)Northwestern went on a game-sealing 14-2 run midway through the second half, leaving the game at 81-63 with 4:56 to go. (Luke Meinhardt/The Daily Northwestern)Senior forward Nick Martinelli tied his career high, posting 34 points on 13-for-19 shooting and continuing to shoot the 3-ball just below 50%. (Luke Meinhardt/The Daily Northwestern)
