Northwestern University Athletics
Saturday, January 3
Evanston, Ill.
4 p.m. CT
Northwestern
8-6,0-3Big Ten
78
vs
84
Minnesota
9-5,2-1Big Ten
1
2
F
Minnesota
34
50
84
Northwestern
34
44
78
NU Drops Big Ten Battle to Minnesota, 84-78
1/3/2026 7:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern suffered an 84-78 setback against Minnesota in its return to conference play on Saturday evening in Welsh-Ryan Arena.
"Just a very frustrating and disappointing loss this afternoon, but give credit to Minnesota, sticking with it and being tough enough to come in here and win on the road," Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said. "I'll take full accountability for it. If we want to win games in this league, we're going to have to get a whole lot tougher, mentally and physically, to put 40 minutes together."
The Wildcats (8-6, 0-3 Big Ten) led by as many as seven points in the second half, but the Golden Gophers (9-5, 2-1 Big Ten) surged late in the contest to secure the result.
Senior forward Nick Martinelli, junior guard Jayden Reid and junior forward Arrinten Page combined for 64 points in the defeat.
"It's just little things we have to clean up," Martinelli said. "We can turn it around. There's no reason we can't. We have a ton of good guys, talented guys, we're going to figure out who's going to play to win."
Martinelli scored a game-high 26 points, 19 of which came in the second half. The forward secured a team-best six rebounds.
Reid, who paced Northwestern's first-half scoring effort, tallied 19 points and seven assists. The point guard helped the Wildcats record 18 assists to just four turnovers.
Checking in off the bench, Page provided 19 points while chipping in three blocks and two steals on the defensive end.
The game initially had the makings of a defensive battle, with the teams headed to the locker room knotted at 34-34, but Saturday's tilt opened up in the latter half.
While Northwestern led 67-60 with less than five minutes remaining, Minnesota launched a 10-2 run to capture a 70-69 lead with 3:04 to play. The 'Cats cut a once-six-point deficit down to a one-score game in the final minute, but the Golden Gophers escaped with the road win.
"This was certainly a big game, one we knew we had to get, but we just have to get ready for the next game," Collins said. "This one stings, this one hurts. We have to get up tomorrow and get ourselves ready for our next game and try to put a game plan together and effort level together that gives us a chance to be competitive."
The Wildcats will return to action in a road clash with No. 9 Michigan State on Thursday, Jan. 8. Tip-off from the Breslin Center is slated for 5:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network and WGN Radio 720.
"Just a very frustrating and disappointing loss this afternoon, but give credit to Minnesota, sticking with it and being tough enough to come in here and win on the road," Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said. "I'll take full accountability for it. If we want to win games in this league, we're going to have to get a whole lot tougher, mentally and physically, to put 40 minutes together."
The Wildcats (8-6, 0-3 Big Ten) led by as many as seven points in the second half, but the Golden Gophers (9-5, 2-1 Big Ten) surged late in the contest to secure the result.
Senior forward Nick Martinelli, junior guard Jayden Reid and junior forward Arrinten Page combined for 64 points in the defeat.
"It's just little things we have to clean up," Martinelli said. "We can turn it around. There's no reason we can't. We have a ton of good guys, talented guys, we're going to figure out who's going to play to win."
Martinelli scored a game-high 26 points, 19 of which came in the second half. The forward secured a team-best six rebounds.
Reid, who paced Northwestern's first-half scoring effort, tallied 19 points and seven assists. The point guard helped the Wildcats record 18 assists to just four turnovers.
Checking in off the bench, Page provided 19 points while chipping in three blocks and two steals on the defensive end.
The game initially had the makings of a defensive battle, with the teams headed to the locker room knotted at 34-34, but Saturday's tilt opened up in the latter half.
While Northwestern led 67-60 with less than five minutes remaining, Minnesota launched a 10-2 run to capture a 70-69 lead with 3:04 to play. The 'Cats cut a once-six-point deficit down to a one-score game in the final minute, but the Golden Gophers escaped with the road win.
"This was certainly a big game, one we knew we had to get, but we just have to get ready for the next game," Collins said. "This one stings, this one hurts. We have to get up tomorrow and get ourselves ready for our next game and try to put a game plan together and effort level together that gives us a chance to be competitive."
The Wildcats will return to action in a road clash with No. 9 Michigan State on Thursday, Jan. 8. Tip-off from the Breslin Center is slated for 5:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network and WGN Radio 720.
Team Stats
MINN
NU
FG%
.549
.491
3FG%
.333
.261
FT%
.846
.800
RB
33
20
TO
11
4
STL
2
7
Game Leaders
Pts
26
FGM
11
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
19
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
8
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballMen's Basketball - Minnesota Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, January 04
Men's Basketball - 'Cats Fall, 84-78 to Minnesota (1/3/25)
Sunday, January 04
Men's Basketball - Howard Postgame Press Conference (12/30/25)
Wednesday, December 31
Men's Basketball - Martinelli Matches Career-High with 32 in Victory over Howard (12/30/25)
Wednesday, December 31
