Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
8-10,0-7Big Ten
#8 Nebraska
18-0,7-0Big Ten
Northwestern Upended By No. 8 Nebraska, 77-58
1/17/2026 6:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. — Facing its second ranked opponent in four days, Northwestern fell 77-58 to No. 8 Nebraska on Saturday in Welsh-Ryan Arena.
While the Wildcats (8-10, 0-7 Big Ten) and Cornhuskers (18-0, 7-0 Big Ten) exchanged leads on seven occasions in a back-and-forth first half, the visitors seized control in the second half to remain unbeaten.
"You saw firsthand why they're 18-0," Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said. "We played pretty well for 20 minutes, and then in the second half they wore us down."
Senior forward Nick Martinelli posted a team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. He is the first NU player to record a 20-plus-point double-double against a ranked opponent since Vic Law did so against Iowa on Feb. 10, 2019.
Martinelli knocked down 2-of-3 triples en route to his ninth-straight game with at least 20 points.
First-year forward Tre Singleton joined Martinelli in double figures, tallying 14 points, two rebounds, a block and a steal. Singleton's showing marked the most points by an NU first-year against a top 10 opponent since Boo Buie dropped 15 points at Maryland on Feb. 18, 2020.
Singleton opened the contest's scoring on a pull-up jumper in the game's first possession, helping the Wildcats forge an early 5-2 advantage. Both teams traded runs as Nebraska held a 34-29 halftime advantage. Martinelli paced the hosts' scoring effort in the initial 20 minutes with 15 first-half points.
Northwestern commanded the first half's rebounding battle, fortifying a 21-13 edge on the glass.
After the break, first-year guard Jake West hit a triple to cut the Cornhusker lead to 34-32 with 19:15 to play, but Nebraska pushed the margin to 46-36 less than four minutes later.
Although the Wildcats cut the lead down to five points with 13:41 remaining, a 17-3 Cornhusker run ultimately dug a hole too deep to overcome.
"Nobody's letting go of the rope," Collins said. "It's been a really difficult week, three games in six days. You come home against two of the best teams in the country, and you battle but come up short. The guys need to clear their heads and come back on Monday before we go to the West Coast and try to figure some things out."
Northwestern will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 21, in a road matchup at USC. Tipoff from Los Angeles is scheduled for 10 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network and WGN Radio 720.
