Northwestern Earns Bounce-Back Win Over South Carolina, 79-77

Sunday, November 23

White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

4 p.m. CT

Northwestern

5-1,0-0Big Ten

South Carolina

4-2,0-0SEC

Northwestern

South Carolina

Northwestern Earns Bounce-Back Win Over South Carolina, 79-77

11/23/2025 6:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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By: Jake Epstein, NUSports.com

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Junior forward Arrinten Page delivered a game-winning layup in the final seconds to lift Northwestern to a 79-77 win over South Carolina on Sunday night's Greenbrier Tip-off clash at the Greenbrier Resort.

"There was a lot of game pressure on our guys," Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said. "We just talked about it in the last two minutes, whatever happens, we have got to keep our composure. We have to find a way to score and then get some stops."

Country Roads, Take us Home pic.twitter.com/YpjzTHFJqT
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) November 23, 2025

The Wildcats (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) bounced back from their first loss of the season Friday night in their first-ever meeting with the Gamecocks (4-2, 0-0 SEC). After entering the second half with a two-point advantage, Northwestern did not trail the rest of the way.

"Just a big win for us," Collins said. "When you're in these events and you lose that first game, you've got to find a way to get the second one."

Senior forward Nick Martinelli scored a game-high 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. Martinelli assisted Page's game-winning bucket.

"We fought, we battled and we came out with the win," Martinelli said. "That's all that matters. So I'm super excited, super proud."

Page scored 10 points while tallying six assists. Fellow transfer Jayden Reid ran the floor with a game-high nine assists.

Bringing a spark off the bench, sophomore guard Max Green poured in 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting. He buried three 3-pointers in the win.

The Wildcats shot an efficient 57% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. They held South Carolina to just 29% on threes.

Both teams jostled for control early in the contest, with five lead changes and four ties in the opening 10 minutes.

Northwestern opened up an 8-0 run to build a 29-22 lead with just under five minutes to play in the first half.

Behind Martinelli's eight first-half points, the Wildcats carried a 36-34 advantage into halftime. Northwestern received a quickfire contribution from Green, who buried a pair of first-half triples.

The Wildcats converted 5-of-10 3-point attempts while holding the Gamecocks to a 3-of-14 clip from beyond the arc in the first half. Nine Northwestern players scored in the opening half.

Out of the break, the Wildcats forced misses on South Carolina's first six shots from the field. By the under-12 timeout, Northwestern led 53-49.

Although the Gamecocks brought the margin back within two points with 7:53 to play, the Wildcats found another gear, launching a 12-2 run to stretch the advantage to 74-62 with 4:50 remaining.

South Carolina provided a late surge, scrapping back to tie the game at 75-75 in the final two minutes.

Ten seconds remained with the score knotted at 77-77 when Collins called a timeout to set up one final play. Martinelli collected possession off the inbound play and hit Page in the lane with just a few ticks to spare. The junior big man delivered his grandest moment since joining the program, sealing the 79-77 win.

Take us home AP ?? @arrintenp22 pic.twitter.com/NSijTcl4kV
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) November 24, 2025

"Coach [Brian] James is the master of the sidelines out of bounds plays," Collins said. "I just felt today, with how the game was going, 'Let's get regrouped, let's set something up, make sure we get Nick the ball where we want him to."

"Really great poise by Nick to not just force a shot up. He saw the double-team come, and our guys did a great job playing off Arrinten got to the open area. When he got there, he was able to gather himself, be strong and go in and get the power finish."

The Wildcats will return to action on Thursday, Nov. 27 against Oklahoma State in a 2025 CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic matchup with Oklahoma State. Tip-off from the United Center is slated for 9:30 p.m. CT on Peacock and WGN Radio 720.