Friday, November 15
Evanston, Ill.
7 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
Eastern Illinois
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Northwestern Hosts Eastern Illinois on Friday Night
11/14/2024 4:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern welcomes in-state opponent Eastern Illinois to Welsh-Ryan Arena at 7 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 15, for the second game of a season-long four-game homestand. The game will air on Peacock with Kevin Lee (play-by-play) and Tre Demps (analyst) on the call, and WGN Radio 720 and SiriusXM Radio Channel 392 with the Voice of the 'Cats, Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst).
In their last game on Tuesday evening (Nov. 12), the Wildcats (2-1) defeated UIC 83-74, fueled by junior Nick Martinelli's 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Graduate student Jalen Leach posted 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting, his highest scoring output as a Wildcat, with three assists. Fellow graduate student Ty Berry also reached double-figures with 13 points, while nailing 3-of-5 3-point attempts. He also notched his 14th career game with three or more steals. Junior Justin Mullins led the team with seven rebounds, and graduate student Matthew Nicholson posted a season-high three blocks.
Martinelli became the first Northwestern player to score 25+ points in three consecutive games since John Shurna did so from Dec. 16, 2010 to Dec. 21, 2010. He also became the first Wildcat since at least 2004-05 to score 25+ points in each of the season's first three games. Through the young campaign, he leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth nationally averaging 28.3 points per game, shooting 73.8% from the field, and is pulling down 9.0 rebounds per game (fifth in Big Ten. He has converted all seven of his three-point attempts this season.
Sullivan-Ubben Head Coach Chris Collins is in his 12th season at the helm for Northwestern, and his 179 wins rank third-most by a head coach in program history. The unanimous 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Collins has guided the team to back-to-back 20+ win campaigns. Of the six 20 or more win seasons in school history, Collins has recorded four of them (2015-16, 2016-17, 2022-23, 2023-24). Over the last two seasons, the Wildcats have won 24 Big Ten Conference games, their most ever in back-to-back seasons in school history, surpassing 20 wins encompassing the 1930-31 and 1931-32 seasons.
Northwestern is 3-0 all-time against the Panthers (1-2), with all three prior meetings occurring in the last 12 seasons inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Collins' first game as Northwestern's head coach was against the Panthers, a 72-55 triumph on Nov. 9, 2013. The Wildcats won the last meeting to open the 2021-22 season on Nov. 9, 80-56. Boo Buie registered game-highs of 17 points and five steals and six assists. Ty Berry scored 13 points and pulled down six rebounds.
Eastern Illinois has faced two Big Ten Conference teams in their opening three games of the season, dropping both contests. In the season opener, they fell to Illinois 112-67, and on Nov. 10, they were ahead by one at halftime before succumbing to No. 16 Indiana, 90-55. Last season, the Panthers finished with a 14-18 (8-10 OVC) record. Nakyel Shelton leads the team averaging 15.7 points per game.
The 'Cats have four days off before Montana State comes to Welsh-Ryan Arena for an 8 p.m. CT tip off on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The game will air on BTN and ESPN 1000 WMVP.
In their last game on Tuesday evening (Nov. 12), the Wildcats (2-1) defeated UIC 83-74, fueled by junior Nick Martinelli's 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Graduate student Jalen Leach posted 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting, his highest scoring output as a Wildcat, with three assists. Fellow graduate student Ty Berry also reached double-figures with 13 points, while nailing 3-of-5 3-point attempts. He also notched his 14th career game with three or more steals. Junior Justin Mullins led the team with seven rebounds, and graduate student Matthew Nicholson posted a season-high three blocks.
Martinelli became the first Northwestern player to score 25+ points in three consecutive games since John Shurna did so from Dec. 16, 2010 to Dec. 21, 2010. He also became the first Wildcat since at least 2004-05 to score 25+ points in each of the season's first three games. Through the young campaign, he leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth nationally averaging 28.3 points per game, shooting 73.8% from the field, and is pulling down 9.0 rebounds per game (fifth in Big Ten. He has converted all seven of his three-point attempts this season.
Sullivan-Ubben Head Coach Chris Collins is in his 12th season at the helm for Northwestern, and his 179 wins rank third-most by a head coach in program history. The unanimous 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Collins has guided the team to back-to-back 20+ win campaigns. Of the six 20 or more win seasons in school history, Collins has recorded four of them (2015-16, 2016-17, 2022-23, 2023-24). Over the last two seasons, the Wildcats have won 24 Big Ten Conference games, their most ever in back-to-back seasons in school history, surpassing 20 wins encompassing the 1930-31 and 1931-32 seasons.
Northwestern is 3-0 all-time against the Panthers (1-2), with all three prior meetings occurring in the last 12 seasons inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Collins' first game as Northwestern's head coach was against the Panthers, a 72-55 triumph on Nov. 9, 2013. The Wildcats won the last meeting to open the 2021-22 season on Nov. 9, 80-56. Boo Buie registered game-highs of 17 points and five steals and six assists. Ty Berry scored 13 points and pulled down six rebounds.
Eastern Illinois has faced two Big Ten Conference teams in their opening three games of the season, dropping both contests. In the season opener, they fell to Illinois 112-67, and on Nov. 10, they were ahead by one at halftime before succumbing to No. 16 Indiana, 90-55. Last season, the Panthers finished with a 14-18 (8-10 OVC) record. Nakyel Shelton leads the team averaging 15.7 points per game.
The 'Cats have four days off before Montana State comes to Welsh-Ryan Arena for an 8 p.m. CT tip off on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The game will air on BTN and ESPN 1000 WMVP.
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