Nick Martinelli scored 24 points, sealing the win with two free throws to break a tie with 3.5 seconds remaining in regulation, helping Northwestern stay undefeated with an 81-79 victory over local rival DePaul on Friday night in Chicago.
Arrinten Page finished with 22 points for the Wildcats (4-0), who shot 58% to win their fourth straight over DePaul in a game that featured 17 lead changes. Martinelli, a suburban Chicago product, grabbed the rebound after a miss by teammate Jayden Reid (17 points) and was fouled by the Blue Demons’ Kruz McClure. He then, calmly, sank two free throws to secure the victory.
McClure had 15 points for DePaul (2-2), which shot 42.4%, but held a 16-6 advantage on the offensive boards and a 20-7 edge in second-chance points.
DePaul led 44-42 following a first half that featured 10 ties and 10 lead changes. Northwestern used a 12-2 surge, highlighted by seven points from Page and a Martinelli 3, to lead 56-50 early in the second half.
However, the Blue Demons responded by scoring nine straight points, with four different players registering points, to go up 59-56. DePaul led 64-61, when the Wildcats scored the game’s next seven — capped by a 3 from Tre Singleton (10 points) to lead 68-64.
But again, DePaul responded, taking a 72-71 lead on Brandon Maclin’s 3-pointer with 5:37 remaining in regulation. The contest remained tight down the stretch.
Northwestern hit nine of its first 10 shots, and a 7-0 run put the visitors ahead 25-19. However, the Blue Demons fought their way back during a back-and-forth first half.
While Northwestern ended the half shooting 67%, DePaul did its work at the free-throw line, going 17-for-20, while also owning a 16-2 edge in second-chance points and 10-2 advantage on the offensive glass.
The Blue Demons used a late 8-0 run to lead 41-36 with less than two minutes remaining in the opening half, but 3-pointers from Northwestern’s Max Green and K.J. Windham sandwiched RJ Smith’s own 3-pointer for DePaul to make it a two-point game at the break.
