Wildcats come up just short in 63-60 loss at Rutgers

It was another difficult loss marked by frustrating officiating on the road for Northwestern, which came just short of snapping Rutgers' winning streak in a 63-60 loss at Jersey Mike's Arena on Thursday night.

Ryan Langborg was ejected from the game after his elbowing Jermichael Davis to create space near the sideline was somehow ruled a Flagrant 2 foul with 10:04 left in the first half. Already spread thin after a season-ending injury to Ty Berry, the Wildcats were forced to extend their rotation and dig even further into their bench.

Boo Buie was heroic in a losing effort with a game-high 27 points. No other player, on either team, had more than 15. Brooks Barnhizer had 11 and a game-high 14 rebounds, while Justin Mullins, who had played just 21 minutes and hadn't scored the entire season, logged 26 minutes and came up eight points.

The Wildcats turned the ball over 15 times, six more than their season average of nine, and were outscored 36-26 in the second half.

Still, Buie had a chance to tie it with a three-pointer off of an out-of-bounds play with 4.5 seconds left. Rutgers doubled-teamed Buie, and while it appeared on replay he may have been fouled, there was no call from the refs and the ball barely made it past the free-throw line.

Rutgers was led by Jeremiah Williams with 15 points. The Scarlet Knights have won all four of their games since the return of the junior guard.

Here are our takeaways from a tough loss at Rutgers that dropped the Wildcats' record to 17-8 overall and 8-6 in the Big Ten:

It's going to be a grind without Berry: For the first time since mid-December against DePaul and Arizona State, Northwestern scored fewer than 70 points in back-to-back games.

A good read of the offensive effects of Berry's absence has been the play of Brooks Barnhizer.

Barnhizer clawed his way to 11 points and 14 rebounds in 36 minutes on 4-for-15 shooting from the field, a game after going 3-for-15 in an otherwise excellent performance in a win over Penn State. Without Berry to space the floor, and even more so in the 30 minutes after Langborg's ejection against Rutgers, defenses closed in and keyed on Northwestern's top two of Buie and Barnhizer like never before, while they still have the dual pressure to create shots.

Mullins was a sensation off the bench with his eight points on 3-for-3 shooting. But otherwise, the Wildcats were hesitant or unable to create offense. The only player other than Buie and Barnhizer to attempt more than three field goals was Nick Martinelli, who struggled with just six points on 2-for-9 shooting in 39 minutes and was shut out in the second half.

The game may not be a true sign of the future with the thrown-in wrench of Langborg's early exit, but it's clear that Northwestern is going to need to revert in some form or fashion back to the defensive prowess that made it a tournament team in 2022-23.

Barnhizer's progression as an emerging star has been sensational and exactly what Northwestern fans could have hoped for, but the game showed that he's not able to match his previous efficiency while drawing this level of focus from defenses.

Buie hits 2,000 points: Even in a frustrating loss, the latest accolade for Buie should be celebrated. He became just the second Wildcat all-time to eclipse 2,000 career points in the first half with his third three. He reached 2,020 by the game's end and is now just 18 points behind John Shurna's 2,038 as Northwestern's all-time leading scorer.

Buie was truly exceptional against Rutgers, yet again. He took over the game in the first half with 17 points, outscoring Rutgers singlehandedly as late as 7:23 in the first frame. He struggled more in the second half, hitting just two of seven shots. He also had just one assist.

Rutgers routinely doubled Buie out of pick and roll and other actions, forcing the rest of the Wildcats to try and beat them. Thanks to Buie's early heroics, they nearly did.

Welcome to the party, Justin Mullins: The Langborg ejection forced Collins' hand and Justin Mullins entered the game. The rest could be history.

A lot of Northwestern players in recent years have gotten their start on a need-to-have basis, Nick Martinelli comes to mind last season, Dererk Pardon even further back. Mullins took the court and never looked back with eight points and, even more encouraging, four blocks and a steal.

Mullins made a mistake late in the game when he helped too far on a drive, leaving Aundre Hyatt open for a three to give Rutgers a 61-58 lead with 56 seconds left. He also struggled briefly as a ball handler, committing a turnover at the top of the key when pressured. But despite some growing pains, his debut in truth should be seen as a roaring success.

Collins passed over Mullins to give walkon Blake Smith a couple minutes against Penn State, and Mullins seems to have received his message. With the increased confidence, Collins should recognize Mullins as a staple at 15-20 minutes when Langborg returns to the lineup. He provides valuable shooting and athleticism to a team that needs to find ways to give Langborg and Barnhizer a rest, no matter how small, down the stretch.

With further encouragement to initiate and seek out scoring chances, he could provide the sliver of relief that Buie and Barnhizer need to execute in these last six games before tournament play.

It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward: Just like last season, this team has taken some shots. A 30-point loss at Illinois. Back-to-back overtime losses on the road. Now a three-point loss after the news of a season-ending injury to a key player and the ejection of another.

Northwestern now stands at 17-8 (8-6 Big Ten) with six games remaining. They're tied for fourth in the league with Michigan State, who they currently hold the tiebreaker with, but will see again at their place in their penultimate regular season game.

Thursday night was a tough loss to swallow, eerily similar to the road loss at Minnesota on Feb. 3, save for ending in regulation rather than overtime. But the Wildcats still have everything ahead of them and have shown a recommitment to defense in light of offensive struggles. A lighter schedule down the stretch can keep them in the hunt for an NCAA bid.

The Wildcats are effectively 2-1 without Berry. A far better indicator of this team's future will come on Sunday at Indiana, a team that has lost five of its last seven and was drubbed by Penn State in its last home game. The Wildcats will be at a disadvantage though, with short rest against a team coming off of its week-long bye.