If this Northwestern team ends up in the postseason, they may look back to Monday night’s win over Wisconsin as a pivotal moment in their season.
After a long, COVID-induced layoff, undermanned, and facing both injuries and foul trouble, the Wildcats dug deep and beat the Badgers, 66-63, at Welsh-Ryan Arena in an absolute rock-fight.
Behind Boo Buie, who led Northwestern with 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists, the Wildcats willed themselves to the kind of crunch-time win that has eluded them so many times over the last few years. They made clutch shots down the stretch and sank six of their last seven free throws to snap their two-game losing streak.
The Wildcats got off to a hot start with Chase Audige, who scored seven of Northwestern’s first nine points, including a three-pointer. Then Julian Roper came off the bench with five quick points to fuel a 7-0 Northwestern run and open a 16-9 lead at the under-12 timeout.
In the first half, the Wildcats shot 41%, turned the ball over just twice, generated three steals and even outrebounded the Badgers to take a 32-26 lead into halftime.
But that lead was wiped out in about 2 ½ minutes as Wisconsin went on an 8-0 run to start the second half and took the lead, 34-32, on a Chucky Hepburn three-pointer. But Northwestern came right back to tie it, starting a wild, back-and-forth struggle in which neither team led by more than four points and the lead changed hands 17 times.
Audige scored 16 points to aid Buie and beat Wisconsin for the first time since 2018.
Jordan Davis scored 15 points, while Hepburn added 12 to pace the Badgers, who lost for the fourth time in five games.
Here are our takeaways from the win that raised Northwestern’s record to 13-5 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten:
Northwestern showed its heart: The Wildcats were up against it in this one. After losing back-to-back games, it seemed like the team would need time to practice together and regroup but they got the opposite.
They were coming off of an eight-day, COVID-induced layoff and didn’t gather as a team until the night before the game. An already undermanned team with just nine scholarship players then lost Roper in the first half to an apparent ankle injury. Roper went to the locker room and didn’t return.
Tydus Verhoeven fouled out with 9:11 left after collecting five fouls in just five minutes of action, and Matt Nicholson and Audige went down to the wire with four fouls each. Nick Martinelli wound up making just his fifth appearance of the season, and finished at +2 in four minutes. He contributed just a rebound in the box score, but for a guy who has been on the bench since November, he performed admirably when his number was called.
Every time Wisconsin came from behind to take the lead, the Wildcats found a way to take it right back, again and again, until the buzzer sounded and they were on top. It wasn’t always pretty, but the Wildcats found a way to win.
The veteran backcourt carried the load: Audige and Buie took turns in this one, with Audige doing most of his scoring in the first half, and Buie taking the lead role in the second.
Audige scored seven points in the first four and a half minutes to get the Wildcats off to a strong start. He scored nine points in the first half on 4-for-9 shooting.
But Buie scored 11 of his 20 points in the second half to bring the win home. When Wisconsin took the lead early in the second half, it was back-to-back drives to the bucket that got Northwestern back to even at 42. Buie went 5-for-10 in the second half and hit one triple.
He wound up leading Northwestern in rebounds and assists, and – maybe most impressively – he turned the ball over just once. It was a showcase of Buie's improved decision making. Rather than bombing away from outside trying to play hero ball, the senior guard slashed to the rim again and again, drawing fouls and putting the Wisconsin defense through the ringer.
He took only four threes, making one, and finished 5-for-6 from the free throw line to go with his monster stat line.
The Cats closed it out: The Achilles heel for head coach Chris Collins’ tenure has been the ability to win close games. Time and again over the last few years, the Wildcats melted down in the stretch run.
But against the Badgers, it was Northwestern that made the plays they needed to make.
With 2:52 left, Buie found a cutting Brooks Barnhizer in the lane for a layup and a 62-61 lead. Matt Nicholson, a 53.8% free-throw shooter, made two free throws to make it 64-62. Then Beran came down with a big defensive rebound, was fouled and made both free throws for NU’s final points with 26 seconds left.
The bottom line: Northwestern gutted it out in gut-check time.
No rest for the Wildcats: This game was hastily rescheduled from Jan. 21 to tonight because of COVID protocols within the Wildcat program. Now, Northwestern will play three games in the next week as a result.
On Wednesday night, they travel to Nebraska to face the Huskers, come back home on Saturday to take on Minnesota, then hit the road again to play Iowa on Monday night in a game originally scheduled for Jan. 15.
Northwestern is already challenged in terms of depth, with just nine scholarship players on the roster. Roper’s status moving forward will be critical to maintaining a competitive rotation. Audige and Buie played 39 and 37 minutes, respectively, against Wisconsin, and Northwestern needed every single one of those minutes to earn the win. But that's likely an unsustainable pace with three games in seven days.
This upcoming stretch will be a true test of the team's stamina and endurance as they try to continue to build a tournament-caliber resume.
