'Cats Come Up Short Against Undefeated Oklahoma State at United Center

Thursday, November 27

Chicago, Ill.

9:30 p.m. CT

Northwestern

5-2,0-0Big Ten

Oklahoma State

7-0,0-0Big 12

Oklahoma St.

Northwestern

Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics

'Cats Come Up Short Against Undefeated Oklahoma State at United Center

11/28/2025 1:28:00 AM | Men's Basketball

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By: Charlie Spungin, NUSports.com

CHICAGO — Despite senior forward Nick Martinelli's 28-point, 10-rebound double-double, Northwestern fell 86-81 to Oklahoma State inside the United Center on Thanksgiving night.

After leading by as many as six points three minutes into the second half, the Wildcats (5-2) could not hold on, as the Cowboys (7-0) scored 47 second-half points.

"Very disappointing loss tonight," Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said. "It's kind of the same story that we have to get corrected. We have to do a better job keeping the ball out of our paint, and we have to finish possessions with rebounds and loose balls."

In addition to Martinelli's season-high marks in scoring and rebounding the ball, he converted 12-of-16 field goal attempts. He has posted 25+ points in consecutive games.

Sophomore guard Angelo Ciaravino recorded a season-high 14 points, 11 of which came in the second half, on 6-of-9 shooting.

Gallery: (11-27-2025) Men's Basketball vs. Oklahoma State

"I thought he did a lot of good things getting to the basket," Collins said of Ciaravino. "His improvement has been great. He had a great offseason. He's gotten stronger. He's finishing plays better."

Junior forward Arrinten Page tallied 11 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Jayden Reid notched a game-high six assists.

Northwestern shot 49.1% (28-of-57) from the floor, while holding the Cowboys to season lows in points (86) and field goal percentage (42.9%). Still, Collins wants more out of his group on the defensive end.

"We have to be better defensively, and we have to rebound. Those are the two stories of this game," Collins said. "If you would have told me we were going to score 81 points — 40 in the first [half] and 41 in the second [half] — I would have said we would have had a great chance to win the game."

Though Oklahoma State led for the majority of the first half, Northwestern kept the contest tight. After the teams exchanged seven lead changes in the final four minutes of the half, the Wildcats pulled ahead to grasp a 40-39 lead heading into halftime.

Martinelli led the way with 11 points and six rebounds, while Page and Reid contributed seven points each. Northwestern made 14 free throws in the half, its second-most in a half this season.

After the break, the Wildcats forced Oklahoma State to miss its first five shots from the floor and grabbed a six-point lead.

"When we got the lead, we actually strung together a few stops," Collins said. "We just couldn't consistently keep that going."

A 10-0 Cowboy run gave them an eight-point lead with just under six minutes remaining.

Northwestern — aided by six consecutive made field goals late in the second half — cut the lead to one with a little over 30 seconds left, but it failed to complete the comeback.

"I'm just disappointed because I feel like in our two losses, we did a lot to ourselves, and that's not to discredit the other teams. The other teams made plays, and part of that is making you do those things," Collins said. "We have to be much more disciplined, and that starts with me."

Northwestern opens Big Ten play on Wednesday, Dec. 3, against Wisconsin in Madison, Wis. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network and WGN Radio 720.