Northwestern University Athletics
Tuesday, December 16
Evanston, Ill.
7 p.m. CT
Northwestern
7-4,0-2Big Ten
86
vs
70
Valparaiso
6-5,0-0MVC
1
2
F
Valparaiso
30
40
70
Northwestern
39
47
86
Martinelli, Page Combine for 47 Points, NU Vanquishes Valparaiso 86-70
12/16/2025 10:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern defeated Valparaiso 86-70 in wire-to-wire fashion on Tuesday night in Welsh-Ryan Arena to close out its three-game homestand.
Senior forward Nick Martinelli and junior forward Arrinten Page combined for 47 points to guide the Wildcats (7-4, 0-2 Big Ten) to a commanding win over the Beacons (6-5). Northwestern has now won 13 consecutive home non-conference contests.
"This was a good step forward for our team," Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said. "We just came out on defense right away. We got off to a really good start and [never] trailed. There were some ebbs and flows, some learning experiences… so overall, just really pleased."
Martinelli posted a game-high 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting, six rebounds, a block and a steal. The senior has registered at least 20 points in six of his last seven games.
Page poured in 18 points — 13 of which came in the second half — on 7-of-12 shooting. He added seven rebounds, three assists and a block.
"The two big guys, Nick and AP, were fantastic," Collins said. "They led the way."
"We've been wanting him to be aggressive. His play can really elevate us," Collins said of Singleton. "Excited to see him have some success."
The Wildcats recorded 17 assists to seven turnovers in the win, while turning over the Beacons 15 times.
Northwestern began the game on a 9-2 run, holding Valparaiso scoreless for nearly three minutes after the tipoff. An 8-0 Wildcat run helped the hosts extend the lead to double digits as NU pushed the score to 17-5 with just over 13 minutes left in the first half.
The 'Cats weathered a Beacon flurry midway through the first half and carried a 39-30 lead into halftime. Northwestern forced Valparaiso into six first-half turnovers.
Martinelli led all scorers in the opening frame, tallying 12 points and three rebounds in 15 first-half minutes.
An 11-0 run early in the second half helped the Wildcats push their advantage up to 51-32 with 16:20 to play. From there, Northwestern closed out the result in its second consecutive home win.
The Wildcats will return to action in the Indy Classic against Butler on Saturday, Dec. 20. Tipoff from Indianapolis' Gainbridge Fieldhouse is slated for 3 p.m. CT on Peacock and Varsity Network.
"I told the guys in the locker room — we've had some really key non-conference games," Collins said. "This is kind of our last marquee non-conference [test]. It's going to be a great atmosphere. I told the guys, it's going to have an NCAA Tournament type feel. It's going to have that kind of energy."
"We need all hands on deck. We have three days to get ourselves ready, and it's going to be a really, really big game for us heading into the holidays."
Senior forward Nick Martinelli and junior forward Arrinten Page combined for 47 points to guide the Wildcats (7-4, 0-2 Big Ten) to a commanding win over the Beacons (6-5). Northwestern has now won 13 consecutive home non-conference contests.
Closed the Homestand ? pic.twitter.com/epsWFQFI5a
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) December 17, 2025
"This was a good step forward for our team," Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said. "We just came out on defense right away. We got off to a really good start and [never] trailed. There were some ebbs and flows, some learning experiences… so overall, just really pleased."
Martinelli posted a game-high 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting, six rebounds, a block and a steal. The senior has registered at least 20 points in six of his last seven games.
Page poured in 18 points — 13 of which came in the second half — on 7-of-12 shooting. He added seven rebounds, three assists and a block.
"The two big guys, Nick and AP, were fantastic," Collins said. "They led the way."
Junior guard Jayden Reid ran the floor with 13 points and five assists, while first-year forward Tre Singleton chipped in 10 points, four rebounds and three assists. Collins said he felt Tuesday night marked the first-year's best showing of the season to date.Dem Boyz ??
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) December 17, 2025
Nick Martinelli - 29 pts, 6 rebs
Arrinten Page - 18 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asts pic.twitter.com/8uRrW7Gpjh
"We've been wanting him to be aggressive. His play can really elevate us," Collins said of Singleton. "Excited to see him have some success."
The Wildcats recorded 17 assists to seven turnovers in the win, while turning over the Beacons 15 times.
Northwestern began the game on a 9-2 run, holding Valparaiso scoreless for nearly three minutes after the tipoff. An 8-0 Wildcat run helped the hosts extend the lead to double digits as NU pushed the score to 17-5 with just over 13 minutes left in the first half.
The 'Cats weathered a Beacon flurry midway through the first half and carried a 39-30 lead into halftime. Northwestern forced Valparaiso into six first-half turnovers.
Martinelli led all scorers in the opening frame, tallying 12 points and three rebounds in 15 first-half minutes.
An 11-0 run early in the second half helped the Wildcats push their advantage up to 51-32 with 16:20 to play. From there, Northwestern closed out the result in its second consecutive home win.
The Wildcats will return to action in the Indy Classic against Butler on Saturday, Dec. 20. Tipoff from Indianapolis' Gainbridge Fieldhouse is slated for 3 p.m. CT on Peacock and Varsity Network.
"I told the guys in the locker room — we've had some really key non-conference games," Collins said. "This is kind of our last marquee non-conference [test]. It's going to be a great atmosphere. I told the guys, it's going to have an NCAA Tournament type feel. It's going to have that kind of energy."
"We need all hands on deck. We have three days to get ourselves ready, and it's going to be a really, really big game for us heading into the holidays."
Team Stats
VALPO
NU
FG%
.444
.541
3FG%
.316
.238
FT%
.727
.682
RB
31
33
TO
15
7
STL
6
6
Game Leaders
Pts
29
FGM
12
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
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