Rapid Reaction: Northwestern wins defensive slugfest over UNLV 66-61

While the ‘Cats didn’t play their best throughout, the team was able to salvage third-place.

It wasn’t always pretty, but they got the job done.

Northwestern (6-2, 0-0 B1G) defeated UNLV (4-3, 0-0 MWC) on an offensively-challenged Friday night in Arizona.

For Northwestern, Brooks Barnhizer led the way with 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Jalen Leach added 15 points, and Nick Martinelli chipped in 12 along with six rebounds. The Wildcats forced 14 turnovers and made 18 of their 26 free throws.

UNLV was led by Dedan Thomas Jr., who had 17 points and two assists, and Jailen Bedford chipped in with 15 points and two rebounds. The Runnin’ Rebels grabbed 12 offensive rebounds, but only had nine assists as a team on a rough offensive night.

After Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry won the tip, both squads started slowly — exchanging turnovers and forcing up tough shots — until Jalen Leach knocked down a triple. Matthew Nicholson finished a tough layup a few possessions later, but Dedan Thomas Jr. came back with back-to-back buckets. Five minutes in, Leach picked up his second foul, and both teams took a much-needed reset at the under-16 timeout. It was an incredibly sloppy start with four turnovers by the two teams in the early going.

Out of the timeout, Brooks Barnhizer made a beautiful pass, finding Nick Martinelli for a layup. That wasn’t a sign of things to come, though, and, with eight minutes played, only 13 total points were on the scoreboard. Even though UNLV had six turnovers, the Runnin’ Rebels were staying in the game with strong defense and five offensive rebounds.

Angelo Ciaravino traveled on the first possession coming out of the under-12, and Northwestern’s offense looked anemic. A few possessions later, Jailen Bedford ignited UNLV’s attack with four straight points, giving the Runnin’ Rebels the lead. Brooks Barnhizer answered for Northwestern, sinking back-to-back triples to regain momentum. However, Bedford responded with a three-pointer of his own, tallying nine consecutive points for UNLV. While both offenses began to find a rhythm, Northwestern’s play remained disjointed and inconsistent.

NU forced two straight turnovers after the stoppage, one of the few bright spots in a game where UNLV had already committed nine giveaways. The Runnin’ Rebels extended their lead after more scoreless possessions for the ‘Cats with a three from Julian Rishwain and an and-one finish for Thomas Jr. Chris Collins gambled by putting Leach back in the game with two fouls, and Leach promptly picked up his third. With four minutes remaining in the first, UNLV held a 23-16 lead, and there was no ball or player movement for Northwestern.

Barnhizer posted up and knocked down a much needed two free throws for the ‘Cats, continuing his stretch as the sole contributor for the offense. After a Jalen Hill putback, Martinelli finally scored a bucket with an and-one layup. A possession later, Martinelli found Barnhizer across the floor, and the senior swished home his third trey of the half. Northwestern closed on an 8-0 run and had a slim 26-25 lead at halftime.

NU had a tough time putting the ball in the basket, a continuation of the early season woes, shooting 29.2% from the field in the opening 20 minutes. Barnhizer was the only player who had it going offensively, with 13 points and four rebounds. The next leading scorer was Nick Martinelli with five points. On the other side of the ball, the ‘Cats’ defense was strong, forcing 10 turnovers and consistently doubling Cherry in the post.

Dedan Thomas Jr. and Jailen Bedford both had nine points for the Runnin’ Rebels, and while UNLV had 11 baskets compared to Northwestern’s seven, their 10 turnovers and NU’s eight free throws kept the Wildcats in the lead. For the second half, Northwestern needed to establish more consistent ball movement. Leach, only playing six minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, was a factor, but the ‘Cats struggled throughout the opening 20 minutes.

Following the intermission, Martinelli drilled a three, and Thomas Jr. floated in a bucket. Leach drained another three pointer, and the offense already looked much better. After Hill and Nicholson traded free throws and Cherry scored on a putback, the Wildcats held a narrow 34-31 lead. Nicholson slammed home a second-chance dunk and continued his assertive play. After a few scoreless possessions, Leach knocked down a floater and midrange, making his presence felt after a limited first half. With 13:41 to go, Northwestern had a five point lead and was five-for-eight from the field in the second half.

After the under-16, Barnhizer blocked a Hill layup, and Martinelli made two free throws on the other end. The Runnin’ Rebels responded right away as Thomas Jr. made an and-one and Bedford nailed a three. Northwestern answered with a 5-0 run, highlighted by a Mullins floater and a Barnhizer triple, pushing their lead to 47-43. The intensity surged as both teams traded baskets in a back-and-forth battle.

With 9:36 to go, the ‘Cats forced a shot clock violation with a terrific defensive possession, and Mullins converted a layup after a terrific hustle play from Nicholson. Rishwain nailed a clutch three for UNLV on the other end, and NU’s lead was trimmed to three.

Out of the timeout, Barnhizer made a great cut for two, only for Rishwain to answer with another three-pointer. Leach responded with a huge three, but picked up his fourth foul soon after, sending him to the bench. A few possessions later, Barnhizer drained a spinning jumper, and the lead was 56-51 with 3:02 remaining.

After the under-4, Barnhizer layup rattled in-and-out, but UNLV took possession after a jump ball. Martinelli drilled a tough jumper as the shot clock expired; however, the Runnin’ Rebels would not go away. Bedford buried another three, and the lead was down to four. Barnhizer came back with a clutch and-one. The ‘Cats forced a stop on the next possession, but Martinelli was called for an offensive foul, handing the ball back to UNLV.

With 38.6 seconds to go, after a Cherry miss, Berry was fouled and knocked down a free throw. Thomas Jr. made one-of-two from the stripe on the other side, and UNLV continued the foul game. Leach sank both free throws, and Northwestern was able to hang on and close out the contest.

The ‘Cats will be back in action Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CST, kicking off their conference schedule with a road matchup against Iowa.