Thursday, February 20
Columbus, Ohio
5:30 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
Ohio State
Photo by: Griffin Quinn / Northwestern Athletics
Wildcats and Buckeyes to Meet Thursday in Columbus
2/19/2025 1:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern hits the road to start a two-game road swing by traveling to play Ohio State in Columbus for the first time since 2023 at 5:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, Feb. 20. The contest will air on FS1 with Chris Vosters (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst) on the call and can be heard on WGN Radio 720 and SiriusXM Channel 372 with Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst).
Junior Nick Martinelli leads the Big Ten Conference in scoring and ranks 17th nationally averaging 19.8 points per game this season. The Glenview, Ill. product, who played high school basketball 10 miles away from Welsh-Ryan Arena at Glenbrook South HS, is attempting to become just the fourth Wildcat to lead the league in scoring, joining John Shurna (2011-12, 20.0), Joe Ruklick (1958-59, 23.0), and Ray Ragelis (1950-51, 19.1). He is the first Wildcat to average at least 19.8 points per game, while shooting at least 46% from the field since Evan Eschmeyer in 1997-98 (21.7 ppg, 61.0%). Martinelli is currently on a career-best streak of scoring 15+ points in 11 straight contests and is the first Wildcat to do so since Shurna from Jan. 11 - Feb. 18, 2012.
The Wildcats (13-13, 4-11 Big Ten) are scoring an average of 73.5 points per game this season, their highest scoring season since the 1993-94 team posted 75.0 points per game. As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 9.9 turnovers lost per game, which is the second fewest in the Big Ten, and ranks 24th fewest nationally. The team's 1.47 assist/turnover ratio ranks sixth in the Big Ten and 35th in the nation. Northwestern forces 13.5 turnovers per game, fourth in the Big Ten, and has a turnover margin of +3.6, which ranks third in the Big Ten and 22nd nationally.
Graduate student Ty Berry has scored 10+ points in eight of his last ten games. He has scored 23 points in each of his last two games, marking the first time in his career he has exceeded 20+ points in two consecutive contests. Berry has knocked down 2+ threes in 11 Big Ten games and is one of five players to do so. Berry ranks fifth in program history with 242 career three-pointers.
Last time out, Northwestern led by as many as 20 points early in the second half but could not hold on and fell to Nebraska 68-64 on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 16). The Wildcats held a 36-21 lead at halftime, its largest halftime lead in Big Ten play this season, but the Cornhuskers scored 47 points in the second half.
Berry logged 23 points for the second consecutive contest while shooting 7-of-18 from the field and 6-of-15 from beyond the arc. He set career-highs in both field goal attempts and three-point attempts. He scored 20+ points for the fifth time this season. Berry became the first Northwestern player to attempt at least 15 three-point attempts in a game since Jan. 31, 2016, when Tre Demps attempted 15 against Iowa.
Martinelli notched 23 points on 11-of-25 shooting with nine rebounds and three steals. He became the first Northwestern player to post at least 23 points, nine rebounds, and three steals in a game since John Shurna did so on March 6, 2010, against Indiana.
Northwestern recorded 23 offensive rebounds, its third time doing so since 2009-10. Martinelli and graduate student Matthew Nicholson each had five offensive boards, while graduate student Keenan Fitzmorris and first-year Angelo Ciaravino both had four. Northwestern outrebounded Nebraska 46-27.
Northwestern has won two consecutive matchups against Ohio State and are looking to win three straight contests for the first time since 1966-67. The Wildcats are searching to win two straight road matchups against the Buckeyes for the first time since 1932-34. In last season's matchup in Evanston on Jan. 27, 2024, Northwestern dominated Ohio State 83-58. Six Wildcats — Boo Buie (19 points), Ryan Langborg (14), Martinelli (12), Brooks Barnhizer (11), Luke Hunger (11), and Berry (10) — scored in double figures. Buie moved into third place on Northwestern's all-time leading scorer list. Northwestern's 25-point margin of victory marked its second-largest ever in 173 games against the Buckeyes.
Ohio State (15-11, 7-8 Big Ten) enters the contest 2-3 in the month of February. Bruce Thornton's 17.3 points per game comes in at eighth in the Big Ten. Ohio State has three other players scoring at least 12 points per game — Devin Royal (14.0), John Mobley Jr. (13.5), and Micah Parrish (12.3). The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten with their 38.3 three-point percentage, which ranks 16th in the nation. Thornton and Mobley both shoot over 40-percent from beyond the arc on over four attempts per game.
The Wildcats play its penultimate road game of the season against Minnesota on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. CT. The game will air on Peacock and WGN Radio 720 / ESPN 100 WMVP.
Junior Nick Martinelli leads the Big Ten Conference in scoring and ranks 17th nationally averaging 19.8 points per game this season. The Glenview, Ill. product, who played high school basketball 10 miles away from Welsh-Ryan Arena at Glenbrook South HS, is attempting to become just the fourth Wildcat to lead the league in scoring, joining John Shurna (2011-12, 20.0), Joe Ruklick (1958-59, 23.0), and Ray Ragelis (1950-51, 19.1). He is the first Wildcat to average at least 19.8 points per game, while shooting at least 46% from the field since Evan Eschmeyer in 1997-98 (21.7 ppg, 61.0%). Martinelli is currently on a career-best streak of scoring 15+ points in 11 straight contests and is the first Wildcat to do so since Shurna from Jan. 11 - Feb. 18, 2012.
The Wildcats (13-13, 4-11 Big Ten) are scoring an average of 73.5 points per game this season, their highest scoring season since the 1993-94 team posted 75.0 points per game. As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 9.9 turnovers lost per game, which is the second fewest in the Big Ten, and ranks 24th fewest nationally. The team's 1.47 assist/turnover ratio ranks sixth in the Big Ten and 35th in the nation. Northwestern forces 13.5 turnovers per game, fourth in the Big Ten, and has a turnover margin of +3.6, which ranks third in the Big Ten and 22nd nationally.
Graduate student Ty Berry has scored 10+ points in eight of his last ten games. He has scored 23 points in each of his last two games, marking the first time in his career he has exceeded 20+ points in two consecutive contests. Berry has knocked down 2+ threes in 11 Big Ten games and is one of five players to do so. Berry ranks fifth in program history with 242 career three-pointers.
Last time out, Northwestern led by as many as 20 points early in the second half but could not hold on and fell to Nebraska 68-64 on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 16). The Wildcats held a 36-21 lead at halftime, its largest halftime lead in Big Ten play this season, but the Cornhuskers scored 47 points in the second half.
Berry logged 23 points for the second consecutive contest while shooting 7-of-18 from the field and 6-of-15 from beyond the arc. He set career-highs in both field goal attempts and three-point attempts. He scored 20+ points for the fifth time this season. Berry became the first Northwestern player to attempt at least 15 three-point attempts in a game since Jan. 31, 2016, when Tre Demps attempted 15 against Iowa.
Martinelli notched 23 points on 11-of-25 shooting with nine rebounds and three steals. He became the first Northwestern player to post at least 23 points, nine rebounds, and three steals in a game since John Shurna did so on March 6, 2010, against Indiana.
Northwestern recorded 23 offensive rebounds, its third time doing so since 2009-10. Martinelli and graduate student Matthew Nicholson each had five offensive boards, while graduate student Keenan Fitzmorris and first-year Angelo Ciaravino both had four. Northwestern outrebounded Nebraska 46-27.
Northwestern has won two consecutive matchups against Ohio State and are looking to win three straight contests for the first time since 1966-67. The Wildcats are searching to win two straight road matchups against the Buckeyes for the first time since 1932-34. In last season's matchup in Evanston on Jan. 27, 2024, Northwestern dominated Ohio State 83-58. Six Wildcats — Boo Buie (19 points), Ryan Langborg (14), Martinelli (12), Brooks Barnhizer (11), Luke Hunger (11), and Berry (10) — scored in double figures. Buie moved into third place on Northwestern's all-time leading scorer list. Northwestern's 25-point margin of victory marked its second-largest ever in 173 games against the Buckeyes.
Ohio State (15-11, 7-8 Big Ten) enters the contest 2-3 in the month of February. Bruce Thornton's 17.3 points per game comes in at eighth in the Big Ten. Ohio State has three other players scoring at least 12 points per game — Devin Royal (14.0), John Mobley Jr. (13.5), and Micah Parrish (12.3). The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten with their 38.3 three-point percentage, which ranks 16th in the nation. Thornton and Mobley both shoot over 40-percent from beyond the arc on over four attempts per game.
The Wildcats play its penultimate road game of the season against Minnesota on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. CT. The game will air on Peacock and WGN Radio 720 / ESPN 100 WMVP.
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