Northwestern could only watch as guard Keaton Wagler banked in a shot from near half court, narrowly beating the halftime buzzer.
The Wildcats (10-13, 2-10 Big Ten) remained quiet throughout the rest of their 84-44 blowout loss to No. 5 Illinois at State Farm Center on Wednesday night.
It was NU’s fewest points in regular season conference play since the 2019-2020 season, while it conceded a season-high 17 3-pointers to the Fighting Illini (20-3, 11-1 Big Ten).
Senior forward Nick Martinelli scored four points, his lowest output of the season and worst scoring performance since his sophomore year when the ’Cats fell to Chicago State. Freshman forward Tre Singleton led NU with eight points, one steal and one block.
The ’Cats had no answer for Illinois’ offensive output, especially from distance. NU posted a season-low 29.2% from the floor and shot 4-for-25 from long range. The Fighting Illini, on the other hand, shot 48.3% from the field as a team. On the defensive end, NU was outrebounded 50-23 but did manage to grab seven steals.
After the ’Cats were outmuscled on their home floor by Washington, they headed on the road to face a tough Illinois team with an 11-game win streak. And for the early minutes of the game, NU seemed momentarily up for the task.
The ’Cats’ defense played tough in the first four minutes, highlighted by two steals and just two made field goals allowed. But as Fighting Illini forward Jake Davis drilled a contested three to take an 8-7 lead, the contest took a turn for the worse for the visitors. In the half’s remaining 15 minutes, the ’Cats were outscored 36-12. Illinois dominated on both sides of the floor, drilling nine more 3-pointers while holding NU to 25% shooting from the field.
The Big Ten Network broadcast didn’t shy away from sharing the team’s disappointing numbers. With seven minutes to go in the half, the ’Cats were shooting 4-for-20 from the floor while the Fighting Illini shot 9-for-16 from beyond the arc.
Through 20 minutes of play, Illinois led 47-19. For a team looking for a late-season spark, the ’Cats’ first half couldn’t have gone much worse.
Facing a more-than-sizable deficit, NU marginally stepped up its shooting numbers in the second half, but to little avail. The Fighting Illini continued to pile on the points, and after less than five minutes, coach Chris Collins turned to the deeper bench, bringing in freshman guard Phoenix Gill. Collins officially waved the white flag when he sent Martinelli to the bench.
As the game dwindled away, there seemed to be few positives for the ’Cats to take with them. However, as part of NU’s garbage time rotation, sophomore guard K.J. Windham checked onto the floor. His seven minutes, the most he’s played since a bout with Butler in December, seemed promising despite the blowout circumstances.
Windham knocked down a 3-pointer on his second attempt of the night, assisted on two ’Cats’ makes and snagged two rebounds. He was the only player on his team with a positive plus/minus.
His chance to showcase his talents was cut short by the final buzzer, marking the end of a beatdown that had been all but over for most of the night.
NU looks to find its footing against Iowa on Sunday.
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