| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NU | 25 | 40 | 65 |
| RUTG | 21 | 32 | 53 |
Barnhizer sparks Northwestern to 65-53 victory over Rutgers
Matthew Nicholson flushes alley-oop as Northwestern breaks the press
Matthew Nicholson flushes alley-oop as Northwestern breaks the press
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- — Sophomore guard Brooks Barnhizer came off the bench to score 16 points and grab 10 rebounds for his first career double-double, leading Northwestern to a 65-53 victory over Rutgers on Sunday night for a school-record 12th Big Ten Conference win.
Northwestern (21-10, 12-8) ended a three-game losing streak and finished the regular season in a tie with No. 15 Indiana for second place in coach Chris Collins' 10th season with the Wildcats. Northwestern surpassed the 11 wins of the 1930-31 Wildcats, who won the school's only outright conference title. The program record for wins in a season is 24, set in 2016-17. That team earned Northwestern's lone trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Barnhizer made 7 of 12 shots from the floor with a 3-pointer for the Wildcats. Boo Buie sank three 3-pointers and scored 14. Ty Berry pitched in with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Matthew Nicholson scored 10 on 5-of-6 shooting with six boards.
Clifford Omoruyi finished with 14 points, six rebounds and two blocks for the Scarlet Knights (18-13, 10-10). Reserve Derek Simpson had 12 points. Caleb McConnell scored just two points, but he had a team-high eight rebounds and finished with six steals. McConnell moved past Myles Mack (211) into second place on the school's all-time steals list with 214.
Barnhizer scored eight to help Northwestern take a 25-21 lead at halftime.
Barnhizer followed a 3-pointer with a layup to cap 9-0 run and Northwestern upped its lead to 36-24 with 14:10 remaining in the game. Omoruyi's layup pulled the Scarlet Knights within 38-30 at the midway point, but Buie answered with a three-point play and the Wildcats' lead never slipped below nine from there.
Northwestern beat Rutgers for the second time in the last seven match-ups, but the Wildcats lead the overall series 12-7. Northwestern's .632 winning percentage against the Scarlet Knights is its best against a Big Ten opponent.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Roger Ayers
- Clarence Armstrong
- Jeffrey Anderson
2024-25 Big Ten Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 2-0 | - | 10-2 |
| UCLA | 2-0 | - | 10-2 |
| Michigan | 2-0 | - | 9-3 |
| Oregon | 1-1 | 1 | 11-1 |
| Maryland | 1-1 | 1 | 10-2 |
| Penn State | 1-1 | 1 | 10-2 |
| Nebraska | 1-1 | 1 | 8-2 |
| Iowa | 1-1 | 1 | 9-3 |
| Northwestern | 1-1 | 1 | 9-3 |
| Indiana | 1-1 | 1 | 9-3 |
| Illinois | 1-1 | 1 | 8-3 |
| USC | 1-1 | 1 | 9-4 |
| Ohio State | 1-1 | 1 | 8-4 |
| Purdue | 1-1 | 1 | 8-4 |
| Rutgers | 1-1 | 1 | 7-5 |
| Wisconsin | 0-2 | 2 | 10-3 |
| Washington | 0-2 | 2 | 8-3 |
| Minnesota | 0-2 | 2 | 7-5 |
Men's College Basketball News