It started off with Northwestern falling behind by 11 just over 10 minutes into the game. It started off with a horrific defensive effort and a stagnant offense. It started off looking like Northwestern would suffer its sixth loss in seven games and fall to second-to-last in the Big Ten standings.
But I hope you didn’t turn your TV off.
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Staring down a 13-point deficit with 4:48 to go in the first half in a hostile Assembly Hall against a team that needed a win to keep its season alive, the Wildcats played a near-perfect 25-minute stretch of team basketball. Northwestern (12-16, 4-13 B1G) willed its way to a second straight win and its sixth consecutive victory over Indiana (17-11, 8-9 B1G), the largest streak in series history, via a couple of vital factors.
A stifling defensive adjustment at half
The first half, or really the first 15 minutes of the game, featured what could be called an embarrassing defensive effort from Northwestern.
Lamar Wilkerson was the main problem. He entered the game averaging 21.1 points on the season and shooting over 38% from three. However, early on, it seemed that NU was unaware of Wilkerson’s shooting abilities. He made four threes on four attempts early in the first half, and most of them were open looks. The scouting report seemingly wasn’t emphasized enough, as Wilkerson got whatever he wanted.
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Consequently, Indiana’s players fed off of Wilkerson’s energy. As NU consistently allowed open corner three-pointers and closed out with a disheartening passiveness, the Hoosiers made six threes in the first 10 minutes of the game and shot 50% from three in the first half. Somewhere around the 10-minute mark, when the Wildcats decided they couldn’t take any more threes, their defense overcorrected. NU players stuck to their men like glue, forfeiting easy buckets in the paint for driving Hoosiers. Indiana shot 63% from the field in the first half and entered the break with 42 points on the scoreboard and probably felt like they should have had more.
But then something changed.
The Wildcat defensive effort in the second half greatly increased, and the ‘Cats poured cold water all over what had been a scorching Hoosier offense. Northwestern ran Wilkerson off the three-point line throughout the second half and forced him into tightly contested jump shots. The ‘Cats started forcing Indiana turnovers and caused the Hoosiers to take a number of questionable shots. From Tre Singleton to Angelo Ciaravino, the entire Wildcat roster played the second half with an intensity that Indiana failed to respond to.
Overall, whatever head coach Chris Collins said in the locker room worked. Indiana finished the game shooting 46% from the field and 36% from three – far below its first half numbers. The most staggering stat of them all is that the Hoosiers went without a field goal from the 10:04 mark in the second half to the 31-second mark. Well over nine minutes without a field goal. Northwestern’s defensive adjustments allowed it to complete the comeback.
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The bigs came to play
The headliner is obviously Nick Martinelli.
Martinelli, who seems to be fully emerged from his midseason lull, scored 28 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the field. He scored 21 points in the second half, including eight straight to start the second period to get the ‘Cats back into the game and then seven more with under three minutes remaining to ice the game.
The overall dominance was more of the same for Martinelli, who had his 20th 20-point game of the season, but the important thing to note was his clutch-time offense. While Martinelli and Northwestern as a whole have mightily struggled to close out games this season, this one was different.
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With 2:58 remaining, Martinelli drained a 22-foot three-pointer to give Northwestern the lead. On the next possession, Martinelli stepped into a midrange jumper to extend the ‘Cats’ advantage to two possessions. Then, on the third straight possession of the sequence, Martinelli swished a hook shot to give Northwestern the 67-63 lead with one minute remaining. He went 3-of-4 in the clutch and proved to be the superstar the statistics suggest he is.
However, Martinelli wasn’t the only big man who left his mark on the game. Although Arrinten Page’s stats don’t stand out in the box score, notching 10 points, six rebounds and four assists, his energy and activity levels were incredibly high from the moment he subbed into the game. Page played his most minutes in a game in over a month, and his effort was seen on both ends of the court. He flashed offensive prowess with fadeaway midrange jumpers and an important three with under seven minutes remaining, and helped improve the defense with his paint protection and aggressive rebounding.
The ‘Cats have been searching for more of a sparkplug off the bench this season, and Page provided that in a big way. They’ll need him to continue to bring the intensity if the Wildcats want to make any sort of run in the postseason.
Jake West is growing up in front of our eyes
Every game he plays, Jake West turns more and more into the maestro of the NU offense. While in his first games, West was often passive on both ends of the floor, he now projects confidence with every decision he makes. From running the fast break effectively and always finding the right pass to knowing when to slow the ball down and organize the offense, West is playing like an elite floor general. He logged a career-high 37 minutes on the night and had 16 points, two rebounds and one assist.
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In addition to the leadership he brings to the court, West is starting to pop offensively. He made several key threes against Indiana when the offense started to get stagnant, and is shooting 63% from beyond the arc over NU’s past two games.
Yet, West’s most important contribution on the offensive end against the Hoosiers was the four clutch free throws he knocked down in the final seconds of the game. For a first-year player to calmly swish four straight free throws in a crazy road environment is nothing short of extremely impressive. While NU made some poor decisions in crunch time, leaving the door ajar for Indiana, West slammed it shut to give his team the win.
Overall, West once again showed why Coach Collins made the right decision in inserting him into the starting lineup. Beyond the stability he brings on the offensive end, West competes with intensity on the defensive end. While other NU guards have struggled to stay in front of their opposition, West has shown an ability to keep his man in front of him and force tough shots. West should only continue to get better, and that should be an exciting thought for Northwestern fans.
The ‘Cats will look to win their third straight game on Saturday at 2 p.m. CST against Oregon at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
