In the first 37 minutes of game time, Northwestern led Indiana for just 34 seconds. The Hoosiers (17-11, 8-9 Big Ten) led by as much as 13 points during the game and by 11 in the second half. The Wildcats (12-16, 4-13 Big Ten) allowed Indiana to shoot 62.5% from the field in the first half including eight 3-pointers.

But for senior forward Nick Martinelli, who stood unguarded in front of NU’s bench, none of the stats were relevant. He received a pass from junior center Arrinten Page and drilled a 3-pointer, giving the ’Cats a lead they held on to for the remainder of the contest.

For the sixth straight time, NU defeated the Hoosiers, winning Tuesday’s matchup at Assembly Hall 72-68. Martinelli led the ’Cats with 28 points, marking the 40th game of his career with at least 20 points.

The veteran willed NU to the second-half comeback, playing all 20 minutes and scoring 21 points. The ’Cats outscored Indiana 39-26 in the second half, holding the hosts to 30.8% shooting. 

As the first half developed, conversely, NU looked destined for another blowout conference loss on the road. After the ’Cats nabbed a 9-8 lead through less than five minutes of play, the Hoosiers ventured on a 23-10 scoring run. Guard Lamar Wilkerson scored 11 points during the run, nine of which came on 3-pointers.

By the time the game reached the under-8 media timeout, both teams had recorded six rebounds, three fouls and three turnovers. The main difference — and the one responsible for Indiana’s nine-point lead — was that the hosts shot 9-for-13 with seven 3-pointers while NU posted 8-for-17 shooting. 

Sophomore guard Angelo Ciaravino helped keep the ’Cats competitive for the remainder of the half, sinking two layups in the span of four minutes. NU trailed 42-33 at halftime, its deficit still in single digits after the Hoosiers missed four 3-pointers in the final 75 seconds of the half. 

After allowing a layup to open the second half, Martinelli singlehandedly took the ’Cats on an 8-0 run. Though Indiana answered back with two 3-pointers, it was unable to sink another shot from beyond the arc during the contest.

Though Martinelli scored more than half of NU’s second-half points, he did receive some offensive assistance. Freshman guard Jake West scored five points to help cut the lead early in the half, and he sank two late pairs of free throws. Page made a 3-pointer on a feed from Martinelli with under seven minutes remaining and drilled the game-sealing free throw with one second left.

The key to NU’s comeback came on the defensive end. The Hoosiers made a field goal with just over 10 minutes remaining in the contest and were unable to knock down a shot from the floor until the final minute. The ’Cats closed the game on a 24-12 run over the final 10 minutes.

After Martinelli’s clutch 3-pointer, NU’s lead hovered around one possession, but Indiana was unable to regain its lead. After the Hoosiers’ last-second heave hit the floor, the ’Cats celebrated the continuation of their dominance of Indiana. 

NU returns home to face Oregon on Saturday at 1 p.m. The ’Cats will look to extend their win streak to three games and improve their seeding in the looming Big Ten Tournament.

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