Northwestern
21-10,12-8Big Ten
Rutgers
18-13,10-10Big Ten
'Cats Secure School-Record 12th Big Ten Win in Regular Season Finale at Rutgers
3/5/2023 8:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – For the first time in program history, Northwestern secured its 12th Big Ten win in a single-season with a 65-53 victory over Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J on Sunday evening. The Wildcats finished the 2022-23 season tied for second in the Big Ten standings, their best finish since tying for second in 1958-59. NU's 21 total wins are the second-most in a single-season in program history, trailing the 2016-17 team that totaled 24.
The Wildcats (21-10, 12-8) had four players score in double figures, led by Brooks Barnhizer, who posted his first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Boo Buie added 14 points and Ty Berry helped out with 12 points and seven rebounds.Knight Knight ??
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) March 6, 2023
We've won a school-record 12 B1G games ?? pic.twitter.com/e9aKB5Vop6
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 'Cats took a 25-21 advantage into the locker room. Northwestern got a great contribution from its bench in the half, 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, the program's highest seed in the event's history.
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 now 7-5 against Quad 1 opponents this season.
» Northwestern held Rutgers to 2-of-17 shooting from three in the game.
» The Wildcats are 20-1 this year when holding opponents to 64 points or fewer.
» Brooks Barnhizer posted his first career double-double on 16 points and 10 rebounds.
» Barnhizer's 10 rebounds are a new career high.
» It is Barnhizer's fifth-straight game scoring in double figures, extending the longest stretch of his career.
» Barnhizer and Berry have each scored 10+ points in back-to-back games.
» It is the first time that two Wildcats outside of Audige and Buie have scored 10+ points in back-to-back games since Berry and Robbie Beran each scored in double-digits the first two games of the season.
» Matthew Nicholson tallied 10 points, six rebounds, and a career-high four blocks.
» Ty Berry passed 600 career points with a 12-point performance.
» Boo Buie scored 14 points, all in the second half.
The Wildcats conclude the regular season with a record of 21-10 and 12-8 in conference play. Northwestern will play the winner of No. 10 seed Penn State and No. 7 seed Illinois at 5:30 p.m. CT at the United Center on Friday, March 10 in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
