Monday, March 3
Evanston, Ill.
8 p.m. CT
Northwestern
16-14,7-12Big Ten
69
vs
73
UCLA
21-9,12-7Big Ten
1
2
F
UCLA
34
39
73
Northwestern
35
34
69
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Bruins Slip Past Wildcats in Closing Seconds, 73-69
3/4/2025 12:08:00 AM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern's 13-0 run in the final three minutes of the game came up just short, as it fell to UCLA 73-69 on Monday night inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats (16-14, 7-12 Big Ten) had a chance to tie the game or take the lead with 12 seconds remaining in the contest.
"Obviously, just a really disappointing ending to that game," Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said. "Our guys are fighters. They're going to play until the very last second of the game."
Northwestern has played 13 games decided by five points or fewer, which leads the nation. The Wildcats are 5-8 in such contests.
Graduate student Ty Berry, playing his final contest inside Welsh-Ryan Arena, notched a game-high 22 points, seven rebounds, and three steals while knocking down 7-of-13 shots from the field and 4-of-9 threes. Berry became the first Northwestern player since at least 2005-06 to tally 20+ points, 7+ rebounds, 4+ threes, and 3+ steals in a game. The Newton, Kan. native has led Northwestern in scoring five times this season. With his three steals, Berry moved into a tie for sixth place in the program's career steals leaderboard with Michael Thompson (2007-11) with 159 steals.
"These last 15 games or so, once he's kind of got his pop and confidence, he's been tremendous," Collins said. "Especially at a time where we lose Jalen (Leach) and Brooks (Barnhizer), we needed him to step up."
Junior Nick Martinelli registered 20 points, six rebounds, and three assists, converting on 8-of-10 free throws. Martinelli had his 15th 20 point game of the season, the third most by a Wildcat in a season since 2005-06. Martinelli became the first Northwestern player to notch 20+ points, 5+ rebounds, 3+ assists, and 8+ free throws in a Big Ten game since John Shurna on Jan. 14, 2012 against Michigan State. The 6-foot-7 forward has scored in double figures in 23 consecutive games, marking the longest streak by a Northwestern player since at least 2000. Martinelli also has scored 15+ points in 15 straight contests, the longest streak by a Wildcat since at least 1996. This streak is the country's longest active streak among major conference players. Martinelli moved into fourth in program history in the single-season points leaderboard with 598 points, trailing only John Shurna's 2009-10 and 2011-12 seasons and Boo Buie's 2023-24 season.
First-year K.J. Windham logged 10 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Sophomore Jordan Clayton tallied career-highs with six rebounds and seven assists.
"For (Jordan) to burn his redshirt and just to give us everything he's got has been huge," Berry said. "Especially in these last three wins we've had, Jordan's been a key role in that."
Northwestern turned the ball over just eight times compared to UCLA's (21-9, 12-7 Big Ten) 12. The Wildcats, who average the fewest turnovers per game in the Big Ten, have turned the ball over fewer than 10 times in each of the last four contests. Northwestern scored 19 points off turnovers, while the Bruins scored 10.
The first half of the contest was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team taking more than a five-point lead. The first-half featured four ties and nine lead changes. The Wildcats earned their largest lead of four points on the heels of a 7-0 run from 3:34 to 2:17 in the stanza.
A dunk from graduate student Matthew Nicholson with four seconds remaining in the half marked the last of the nine lead changes in the first half. Northwestern entered the locker room with a 35-34 lead. Berry and Martinelli had 10 first-half points apiece, while Windham recorded eight.
From 6:28 to 4:36 in the second half, UCLA extended their four-point lead to 12 with an 8-0 run to make it a 64-52 score.
"That little stretch in the second half where they pushed the lead to 14 was where the game kind of got away from us," Collins said. "We had some real breakdowns. I thought their physicality bothered us in the paint."
Though the 'Cats soon cut the lead to one, they could not retake the lead for the first time since the 14:30 mark in the second half.
Northwestern plays its final regular season game on the road in College Park against No. 13 Maryland on Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m. CT. The game will air on Peacock and WGN Radio 720.
"Obviously, just a really disappointing ending to that game," Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said. "Our guys are fighters. They're going to play until the very last second of the game."
Northwestern has played 13 games decided by five points or fewer, which leads the nation. The Wildcats are 5-8 in such contests.
Graduate student Ty Berry, playing his final contest inside Welsh-Ryan Arena, notched a game-high 22 points, seven rebounds, and three steals while knocking down 7-of-13 shots from the field and 4-of-9 threes. Berry became the first Northwestern player since at least 2005-06 to tally 20+ points, 7+ rebounds, 4+ threes, and 3+ steals in a game. The Newton, Kan. native has led Northwestern in scoring five times this season. With his three steals, Berry moved into a tie for sixth place in the program's career steals leaderboard with Michael Thompson (2007-11) with 159 steals.
"These last 15 games or so, once he's kind of got his pop and confidence, he's been tremendous," Collins said. "Especially at a time where we lose Jalen (Leach) and Brooks (Barnhizer), we needed him to step up."
Junior Nick Martinelli registered 20 points, six rebounds, and three assists, converting on 8-of-10 free throws. Martinelli had his 15th 20 point game of the season, the third most by a Wildcat in a season since 2005-06. Martinelli became the first Northwestern player to notch 20+ points, 5+ rebounds, 3+ assists, and 8+ free throws in a Big Ten game since John Shurna on Jan. 14, 2012 against Michigan State. The 6-foot-7 forward has scored in double figures in 23 consecutive games, marking the longest streak by a Northwestern player since at least 2000. Martinelli also has scored 15+ points in 15 straight contests, the longest streak by a Wildcat since at least 1996. This streak is the country's longest active streak among major conference players. Martinelli moved into fourth in program history in the single-season points leaderboard with 598 points, trailing only John Shurna's 2009-10 and 2011-12 seasons and Boo Buie's 2023-24 season.
First-year K.J. Windham logged 10 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Sophomore Jordan Clayton tallied career-highs with six rebounds and seven assists.
"For (Jordan) to burn his redshirt and just to give us everything he's got has been huge," Berry said. "Especially in these last three wins we've had, Jordan's been a key role in that."
Northwestern turned the ball over just eight times compared to UCLA's (21-9, 12-7 Big Ten) 12. The Wildcats, who average the fewest turnovers per game in the Big Ten, have turned the ball over fewer than 10 times in each of the last four contests. Northwestern scored 19 points off turnovers, while the Bruins scored 10.
The first half of the contest was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team taking more than a five-point lead. The first-half featured four ties and nine lead changes. The Wildcats earned their largest lead of four points on the heels of a 7-0 run from 3:34 to 2:17 in the stanza.
A dunk from graduate student Matthew Nicholson with four seconds remaining in the half marked the last of the nine lead changes in the first half. Northwestern entered the locker room with a 35-34 lead. Berry and Martinelli had 10 first-half points apiece, while Windham recorded eight.
From 6:28 to 4:36 in the second half, UCLA extended their four-point lead to 12 with an 8-0 run to make it a 64-52 score.
"That little stretch in the second half where they pushed the lead to 14 was where the game kind of got away from us," Collins said. "We had some real breakdowns. I thought their physicality bothered us in the paint."
Though the 'Cats soon cut the lead to one, they could not retake the lead for the first time since the 14:30 mark in the second half.
Northwestern plays its final regular season game on the road in College Park against No. 13 Maryland on Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m. CT. The game will air on Peacock and WGN Radio 720.
Team Stats
UCLA
NU
FG%
.466
.472
3FG%
.304
.368
FT%
.750
.857
RB
38
24
TO
12
8
STL
6
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
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