Northwestern Wildcats @ DePaul Blue Demons
Martinelli’s late free throws lift Northwestern past DePaul 81-79
CHICAGO -- — Nick Martinelli scored 24 points and extended his double-figures streak to 30 straight games and Northwestern edged DePaul 81-79 on Thursday night.
Martinelli went 8 of 11 from the field and added seven free throws, and Arrinten Page dominated inside with 22 points on 10-of-11 shooting for the Wildcats (4-0). Jayden Reid finished with 17 points and hit four free throws in the final 11 minutes as Northwestern rallied after trailing by six in the second half.
Down 57-56 with 11:55 left, Northwestern steadied behind its stars. Page tied the game with a layup, then added another bucket on the next trip. Tre Singleton buried a 3-pointer on the next attempt for a 68-64 lead; Northwestern’s largest of the night.
DePaul (2-2) kept answering, though, as Kruz McClure scored 11 of his 15 points after halftime, including a pair of free throws for a 74-73 edge with 5:02 left. Fabian Flores’ tip-in pushed the Blue Demons ahead 76-73 with 3:56 remaining.
Northwestern closed the game with Singleton scoring twice at the rim and Reid converting in traffic for a 79-76 lead with 1:36 to play. McClure tied it at 79, and Martinelli delivered the final blow. He grabbed Reid’s missed jumper with 3 seconds left, drew a foul and knocked down both free throws.
Layden Blocker’s contested 3 at the horn missed, sealing Northwestern’s road win.
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Game Information
Chicago, IL
Referee:John Gaffney
Referee:Paul Szelc
Referee:Steve McJunkins
2025-26 Standings
| Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 17-1 | - | 27-2 |
| Nebraska | 14-4 | 3 | 25-4 |
| Michigan State | 14-4 | 3 | 24-5 |
| Illinois | 13-5 | 4 | 22-7 |
| Purdue | 12-6 | 5 | 22-7 |
| Wisconsin | 12-6 | 5 | 20-9 |
| UCLA | 11-7 | 6 | 19-10 |
| Iowa | 10-8 | 7 | 20-9 |
| Ohio State | 10-8 | 7 | 18-11 |
| Indiana | 8-10 | 9 | 17-12 |
| USC | 7-11 | 10 | 18-11 |
| Minnesota | 7-11 | 10 | 14-15 |
| Washington | 6-12 | 11 | 14-15 |
| Northwestern | 5-13 | 12 | 13-16 |
| Rutgers | 5-13 | 12 | 12-17 |
| Oregon | 4-14 | 13 | 11-18 |
| Maryland | 4-14 | 13 | 11-18 |
| Penn State | 3-15 | 14 | 12-17 |
| Big East ConferenceBig East Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| UConn | 17-2 | - | 27-3 |
| St. John's | 16-2 | 0.5 | 23-6 |
| Villanova | 13-5 | 3.5 | 22-7 |
| Seton Hall | 9-9 | 7.5 | 19-10 |
| DePaul | 8-10 | 8.5 | 16-13 |
| Creighton | 8-11 | 9 | 14-16 |
| Providence | 7-11 | 9.5 | 14-15 |
| Butler | 6-12 | 10.5 | 15-14 |
| Xavier | 6-12 | 10.5 | 14-15 |
| Georgetown | 5-13 | 11.5 | 13-16 |
| Marquette | 5-13 | 11.5 | 10-19 |
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