Over the past two seasons, Northwestern has generally turned to one man with the game on the line: Nick Martinelli.
In the senior forward’s second-to-last game at Welsh-Ryan Arena, the Wildcats (13-16, 5-13 Big Ten) trailed Oregon by one point with eight seconds remaining. Everyone knew where the ball was going.
Martinelli received a pass from junior guard Jayden Reid, pivoted, stepped and shot his signature left-handed hook. The ball bobbled on the rim for what seemed like his entire four-year collegiate career before falling through the net with just over one second remaining. NU defeated the Ducks (11-18, 4-14 Big Ten), 63-62.
“It felt great obviously, but it really sat on the rim for a while,” Martinelli said. “Thinking back, it might have helped us because it sat on the rim for two or three seconds, so they didn’t have time.”
Freshman forward Tre Singleton grabbed a crucial offensive rebound prior to a Wildcats timeout to set up the winning play.
After shooting 1-for-8 from the field in the first half, Martinelli was 7-for-10 in the second and finished with 22 points on an afternoon in which his bobble head was distributed to fans.
“He’s not going to be denied,” coach Chris Collins said. “I’ve never coached a player who works any harder than he does.”
The win marks NU’s third in a row, the first time all season it has had three straight Big Ten victories. It also puts the ’Cats at 14th in the Big Ten, just above the bottom four teams. If NU can avoid dropping in rank through the remainder of the regular season, it will receive a bye through the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Two offenses showed up for NU on Saturday as the ’Cats shot just 30% from the field in the first half, but did a complete 180 in the second half, making nine of their first 10 field goals. NU finished the half shooting 61.5% from the field.
Both teams heavily capitalized on offensive rebounds and turnovers as the ’Cats had a combined 30 second-chance points and points off turnovers while the Ducks had 28.
The game was fairly close throughout, with the Ducks holding the largest lead of the game, leading the ’Cats by 12 early in the second half before NU went on a 17-2 run.
“I literally just told the team, ‘If you want this game, you can go get it,’” Collins said.
The ’Cats entered the game having the second fewest total turnovers in the country, averaging just 8.57 of them per game. But NU had 12 turnovers against Oregon, including seven in the second half.
The Ducks turned the ball over 16 times, which coach Dana Altman said the team “wouldn’t win many games doing.”
The ’Cats had no double-digit scorers in the first half while the Ducks were led by 7-foot senior center Nate Bittle, who had 12 points and finished the game with 19 points.
Junior center Arrinten Page made his first start since Jan. 17 against Nebraska. Page finished with nine points, three blocks and four steals.
NU will play No. 8 Purdue on Wednesday in what will be Martinelli’s final contest at Welsh-Ryan as a Wildcat. The ’Cats will then travel to Minnesota before the Big Ten Tournament starts March 10.
“We’re playing for our lives,” Martinelli said. “Inevitably, we’re going to have to win the Big Ten Tournament to make March Madness or go on a serious, deep run, so that urgency is there.”
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