Martinelli, Page Power NU to Gutsy Road Win at DePaul, 81-79

CHICAGO — Senior forward Nick Martinelli sank two clutch free throws in the final three seconds to propel Northwestern to an 81-79 victory at DePaul on Friday night in Wintrust Arena.
 
"We had a lot of game pressure tonight," Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said. "DePaul brought the fight to us. We were down, there were a lot of lead changes and it went back and forth the last 10 minutes. We needed that because we're going to be in a lot of close games this year. You need to find ways to get stops when the game's on the line."
 
The Wildcats (4-0) battled back from their first halftime deficit of the season to secure the win in a back-and-forth battle between the crosstown rivals. Martinelli led all scorers with 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting and was named the Fisher-McGrath game MVP.

 

Got it done ?? pic.twitter.com/uxFYsUrUtt

— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) November 15, 2025

Collins said he knew the Blue Demons (2-2) would pose a significant challenge for all 40 minutes.
 
"It's exactly what I thought this game was going to be," Collins said. "I tried to urge our guys to be ready for that physical fight that they brought to us. But it was a heck of a fight. Our guys fought, DePaul fought."
 
Junior forward Arrinten Page poured in  a career-high 22 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field and tallied five rebounds, a block and a steal.
 
For Collins, Page's offensive skillset in the post was on full-display Friday night.
   
"I'm just really proud of [Page]," Collins said. "We did a deep dive on him. He's got a good spirit and heart. He wants to be about the right things. Our situation provided him with what he needed… He's a really talented player and he knows that we need him."
 
Joining Page and Martinelli in double figures, junior guard Jayden Reid scored 17 points and dished out four assists.

"It really just tested us as a team and as a unit," Page said of the matchup. "It was a good result. We stayed together and overcame adversity as a team."
 
Northwestern began the game on a tear from the field, shooting a scorching 66.7% field goal percentage in the first half. The 'Cats converted 4-of-8 first-half 3-pointers.
 
Page led all first-half scorers with 13 points on a perfect 6-of-6 clip. Martinelli chipped in 12 points, knocking down four of his five attempts. Still, DePaul clung to a 44-42 halftime lead.
 
An early 9-0 run helped Northwestern build a 53-48 lead with 16:55 remaining in the game. But for each visiting punch, the hosts seemed to provide a counterpunch in a contest with 14 ties and 17 lead changes.
 
The Blue Demons tied the game at 79-79 with 1:16 remaining before both teams traded stops. A frenzy on NU's final possession sent Martinelli to the line, where the senior made no mistake on both attempts.
 
Battening down the hatches on the final possession, the Wildcats picked up a crucial defensive stop, forcing a misfire on DePaul's last-second heave and securing their first road win of the 2025-26 campaign.
 


"We have to help build each other up and build camaraderie," Martinelli said. "Getting this win meant a lot. It's super hard to win. It's tiring. You have to battle."
 
Northwestern will return to action against Virginia on Friday, Nov. 21 at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network.