PISCATAWAY, N.J. – For the first time ever, Northwestern secured its 12th Big Ten win with a 65-53 victory over Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J.
Knight Knight ??
We’ve won a school-record 12 B1G games ?? pic.twitter.com/e9aKB5Vop6
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) March 6, 2023
The Wildcats (21-10, 12-8) had four players score in double figures, led by Brooks Barnhizer, who posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Boo Buie added 14 points and Ty Berry helped out with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Northwestern grabbed 40 rebounds in Sunday’s game compared to Rutgers’ 34, led by Barnhizer’s 10 boards. The Wildcats also put in work on the offensive glass, turning 11 rebounds into 13 second chance points. The Wildcats are now 12-0 when outrebounding their opponent this season.
The Northwestern defense caused havoc in Sunday’s game, forcing 16 Rutgers turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 11 points on the other end of the floor. Nick Martinelli led the way individually for the Wildcats with two steals.
How It Happened
After falling behind 10-3, Northwestern went on a 9-0 run with 14:56 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Chase Audige, to take a 12-10 lead. A Matthew Nicholson dunk with 11:12 remaining in the first half gave the ‘Cats a 14-12 lead that it would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. The Wildcats then doubled the lead by halftime, taking a 25-21 advantage into the locker room. Northwestern got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 10 of its 25 total points.
Northwestern kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by a Barnhizer layup, to grow the lead to 34-24 with 14:10 to go in the contest. Northwestern’s lead never dipped below eight for the remainder of the game. Boo Buie hit three three-pointers over a four-minute stretch late in the second half to put the game on ice. The Wildcats coasted the rest of the way for the 65-53 win, clinching the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
Game Notes
» Northwestern finishes 12-8 in the Big Ten, its most conference wins in program history.
» All eight Wildcats who appeared in the game recorded a steal.
» Northwestern is…
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