Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
8-8,0-5Big Ten
Rutgers
9-8,2-4Big Ten
Martinelli Posts Career-High 34 Points in NU’s 77-75 OT Defeat at Rutgers
1/11/2026 6:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Senior forward Nick Martinelli scored a career-high 34 points on 11-of-22 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds, but Northwestern dropped a 77-75 overtime heartbreaker against Rutgers at Jersey Mike's Arena on Sunday.
"I was really proud and thought a lot of guys played really hard," Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said. "It's not easy to win on the road, especially here. You just got to keep at it with these guys. It hurts when you lose like that."
The Wildcats (8-8, 0-5 Big Ten) took a one-point lead with less than 30 seconds left in regulation before the Scarlet Knights (9-8, 2-4 Big Ten) sent the game to an extra frame on a late trip to the charity stripe.
Junior forward Arrinten Page provided a spark off the bench, recording 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and six rebounds.
NU recorded 20 assists to just six turnovers, with junior guard Jayden Reid dishing out a team-high six assists. Reid tallied his 300th career assist on a second-half three by first-year guard Jake West.
The 'Cats jumped off to a fast start in the first half, building a game-high 25-13 lead with 9:53 remaining in the frame. But Rutgers cut into the deficit ahead of the break, trimming Northwestern's halftime lead down to 35-33.
Martinelli's 15 first-half points led all scorers in the opening 20 minutes, while West and Page each chipped in six points in the first half.
The Scarlet Knights took their first lead with 15:36 to play in the second half, setting up a back-and-forth battle to the final horn.
With a 67-67 score after regulation, the Wildcats entered their first overtime contest of the season. Martinelli opened the scoring on Northwestern's opening possession, but Rutgers soon seized momentum.
The visitors had one final possession down two points but couldn't extend the game on their last-second attempt, as it was blocked at the rim.
"You come on the road and you battle the way we did these last two games, I give our guys a lot of credit for that," Collins said. "Now it's going to be a challenge of 'When you come up a little short, do you keep fighting. Or, do you let go of the rope?' We got to continue to fight. We've played five games. We came up brutally short."
The Wildcats will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at home against Illinois. Tipoff from Welsh-Ryan Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network and WGN Radio 720.
