'Cats Travel to Minnesota for Saturday Tilt

Saturday, February 3

Minneapolis, Minn.

1 p.m. CT

Northwestern

Minnesota

'Cats Travel to Minnesota for Saturday Tilt

2/2/2024 1:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern men's basketball continues its two-game Big Ten Conference road swing and begins the second half of league play at Minnesota at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 3. Cory Provus (play-by-play) and Brian Butch (analyst) will have the call on BTN, while Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst) will have the radio call on WGN Radio 720 and SiriusXM Channel 389.

Last time out, the Wildcats (15-6, 6-4 B1G) fell 105-96 in an overtime thriller at No. 2 Purdue on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Northwestern trailed by as many as 11 points before tying the game and eventually forcing overtime. It was the most points NU has scored in a loss since a 115-100 setback to No. 3 Kentucky on Dec. 1, 1970. Five players scored in double figures, led by Ty Berry and Boo Buie, who each had 25 points. Berry's 25 points were a season-high, and he also tied a career-high drilling six 3-pointers. Buie dished out eight assists and tied his career-high of seven treys, the most by a Wildcat in a Big Ten game since Scottie Lindsey made nine 3-pointers against Iowa on Feb. 25, 2018. The grad student passed Drew Crawford (2010-14, 1,920) to move into second place all-time at Northwestern with 1,936 career points. Buie is averaging 25.4 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game against ranked opponents this season. Brooks Barnhizer (14), Ryan Langborg (12) and Nick Martinelli (11) joined Buie and Berry in double figures. Martinelli scored 10 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career and is averaging a career-best 7.3 points per game, which leads Northwestern's bench.

Northwestern ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally shooting 38.9% from 3-point range this season, its highest mark in a season since shooting 43.4% in 1990-91, the fourth season of the 3-point arc. During the month of January, the Wildcats shot 43.1% from downtown, the third-highest mark in the country. Berry shot 48% during the month, tied for the seventh-best mark nationally. Berry, Buie and Lanborg are the only trio of teammates to connect on 40+ treys this season. The 'Cats drained a season-high 14-pointers against Purdue and have made 10 or more treys in the last four games.

Prior to the defeat at Purdue, Northwestern was 19-11 in its last 30 Big Ten Conference games, its best record over a 30-game conference span since 1965-68 (18-12). The 'Cats can get back to 19-11 over their last 30 with a win at Minnesota. Northwestern is averaging 80.1 points per game during conference games this season, its highest in a season since 1969-70 (81.3).

Minnesota holds a 109-74 advantage all-time over the Wildcats, while Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins is 9-8 against the Golden Gophers, including a 5-2 edge at Williams Arena. The Wildcats won the lone meeting between the teams last season 81-61 on Jan. 28, 2023, in Evanston. Northwestern is seeking its first three-game win streak against Minnesota since 2015-16 and its first win inside Williams Arena since 2021.

Minnesota is 13-7 on the season, 4-5 in Big Ten Conference and boasts an 11-3 record at home. Dawson Garcia leads the team averaging 17.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

Northwestern returns home to Welsh-Ryan Arena for a two-game homestand for its second meeting of the season with Nebraska on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. CT. The game will air BTN and ESPN 1000 WMVP.