Tuesday, February 25
Minneapolis, Minn.
6 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
Minnesota
Photo by: Sam Mazzola
‘Cats Close Road Swing Tuesday Night at Minnesota
2/24/2025 3:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern concludes a stretch of four of five games on the road as it travels to Minneapolis to face Minnesota at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The game will air on Peacock with Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play) and Stephen Bardo (analyst) calling the action, and on WGN Radio 720 / ESPN 1000 WMVP and SiriusXM Channel 372 with Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst).
The Wildcats (14-13, 5-11 Big Ten) dominated Ohio State in its last game, routing the Buckeyes by a score of 70-49 on Thursday (Feb. 20) night in Columbus. It was Northwestern's largest margin of victory in series history at Ohio State, and its fourth largest in a Big Ten road game since 1950. The 'Cats have won three straight games in the series for the first time since 1966-67 and won back-to-back road games in Columbus for the first time since 1932-34.
Junior Nick Martinelli led a quartet of Northwestern double-figure scorers with a game-high 18 points, while also grabbing five rebounds. Graduate student Ty Berry had 15 points, first-year K.J. Windham added 15, and graduate student Matthew Nicholson contributed 10.
The Northwestern defense held Ohio State to a season-low 49 points, the fewest scored by any Big Ten team in a conference game this season, and the fewest allowed by the 'Cats in a conference game since limiting Penn State to 39 points on Feb. 21, 2015.
Northwestern led 31-24 at halftime and began the second half on a 12-0 run, ultimately growing its lead to as many as 28 points with 9:24 to play. The Buckeyes were held to season-low percentages from the field (32.7%, 17-for-52) and three-point distance (19%, 4-for-21).
Martinelli leads the Big Ten in scoring and ranks 17th nationally, averaging 19.7 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 19.7 points per game, while shooting at least 46% from the field since Evan Eschmeyer in 1997-98 (21.7 ppg, 61.0%).
Nicholson ranks eighth in the Big Ten in blocks, swatting 1.3 shots per game this year. The 7-footer has rejected at least one shot in 10 consecutive games, a first by a Wildcat since Dererk Pardon from Nov. 25, 2016 - Feb. 1, 2017.
Northwestern is scoring an average of 73.4 points per game this season, its highest scoring season since the 1993-94 team averaged 75.0 points per game. As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 9.9 turnovers lost per game, which is the fewest in the Big Ten, and ranks 23rd fewest nationally. Northwestern ranks third in the Big Ten and 21st nationally with a turnover margin of +3.7.
Sullivan-Ubben Head Coach Chris Collins is 10-9 in his career against the Golden Gophers and has won three of the last four matchups. Northwestern set a Welsh-Ryan Arena record by committing just one turnover in a 90-66 win over Minnesota in the last meeting between the two teams on March 9, 2024. The Wildcats haven't won a road game in Minneapolis since a 67-59 triumph on Feb. 25, 2021.
Minnesota (14-13, 6-10 Big Ten) has won two of its last three games but dropped its last contest on Saturday (Feb. 22) at home to Penn State, 69-60. The Golden Gophers swept their West Coast road trip last week winning a pair of 3-point games at USC (69-66) and UCLA (64-61). Dawson Garcia leads Minnesota and ranks fourth in the league averaging 19.4 points per game and eighth pulling down 7.5 rebounds per game. The Golden Gophers are the top shot blocking team in the Big Ten, rejecting 4.8 shots per game.
The Wildcats return to Welsh-Ryan Arena for a two-game homestand beginning at 8 p.m CT on Friday, Feb. 28 against Iowa. The game will air on FS1 and WGN Radio 720.
The Wildcats (14-13, 5-11 Big Ten) dominated Ohio State in its last game, routing the Buckeyes by a score of 70-49 on Thursday (Feb. 20) night in Columbus. It was Northwestern's largest margin of victory in series history at Ohio State, and its fourth largest in a Big Ten road game since 1950. The 'Cats have won three straight games in the series for the first time since 1966-67 and won back-to-back road games in Columbus for the first time since 1932-34.
Junior Nick Martinelli led a quartet of Northwestern double-figure scorers with a game-high 18 points, while also grabbing five rebounds. Graduate student Ty Berry had 15 points, first-year K.J. Windham added 15, and graduate student Matthew Nicholson contributed 10.
The Northwestern defense held Ohio State to a season-low 49 points, the fewest scored by any Big Ten team in a conference game this season, and the fewest allowed by the 'Cats in a conference game since limiting Penn State to 39 points on Feb. 21, 2015.
Northwestern led 31-24 at halftime and began the second half on a 12-0 run, ultimately growing its lead to as many as 28 points with 9:24 to play. The Buckeyes were held to season-low percentages from the field (32.7%, 17-for-52) and three-point distance (19%, 4-for-21).
Martinelli leads the Big Ten in scoring and ranks 17th nationally, averaging 19.7 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 19.7 points per game, while shooting at least 46% from the field since Evan Eschmeyer in 1997-98 (21.7 ppg, 61.0%).
Nicholson ranks eighth in the Big Ten in blocks, swatting 1.3 shots per game this year. The 7-footer has rejected at least one shot in 10 consecutive games, a first by a Wildcat since Dererk Pardon from Nov. 25, 2016 - Feb. 1, 2017.
Northwestern is scoring an average of 73.4 points per game this season, its highest scoring season since the 1993-94 team averaged 75.0 points per game. As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 9.9 turnovers lost per game, which is the fewest in the Big Ten, and ranks 23rd fewest nationally. Northwestern ranks third in the Big Ten and 21st nationally with a turnover margin of +3.7.
Sullivan-Ubben Head Coach Chris Collins is 10-9 in his career against the Golden Gophers and has won three of the last four matchups. Northwestern set a Welsh-Ryan Arena record by committing just one turnover in a 90-66 win over Minnesota in the last meeting between the two teams on March 9, 2024. The Wildcats haven't won a road game in Minneapolis since a 67-59 triumph on Feb. 25, 2021.
Minnesota (14-13, 6-10 Big Ten) has won two of its last three games but dropped its last contest on Saturday (Feb. 22) at home to Penn State, 69-60. The Golden Gophers swept their West Coast road trip last week winning a pair of 3-point games at USC (69-66) and UCLA (64-61). Dawson Garcia leads Minnesota and ranks fourth in the league averaging 19.4 points per game and eighth pulling down 7.5 rebounds per game. The Golden Gophers are the top shot blocking team in the Big Ten, rejecting 4.8 shots per game.
The Wildcats return to Welsh-Ryan Arena for a two-game homestand beginning at 8 p.m CT on Friday, Feb. 28 against Iowa. The game will air on FS1 and WGN Radio 720.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballNorthwestern Men's Basketball Cooking Competition
Sunday, July 20
GRITTY AS IT GETS: Brooks Barnhizer Supercut 🎥
Thursday, June 26
Men's Basketball - Chris Collins on B1G Today
Tuesday, April 08
Men's Basketball - Wisconsin Postgame Press Conference (3/13/25)
Thursday, March 13
