A shorthanded Northwestern squad couldn’t close out a motivated Oregon team.
Big Ten commentators Guy Haberman and Bruce Weber proclaimed Northwestern is stuck in “groundhog day” as they suffered another heartbreaking loss on the road. The 81-75 loss to Oregon continued the road woes, as the ‘Cats entered mid-February still searching for their first Big Ten road win.
The odds were stacked against Northwestern in this one. The ‘Cats were playing one of their most distant road games of the season, down two of their star players, against an Oregon team that was hungry for a victory after losing its last five games. The Ducks still have a strong chances of making the March Madness tournament, and thus came out with intensity from the get-go.
But the Wildcats continued to fight back, as they rallied back from down 17 in the first half to make it a tight finish. But like most of their losses this season, they simply couldn’t close out the game. Whenever they got the defensive stop they needed, the Ducks grabbed an offensive rebound or drew a foul and nailed free throws, preventing the ‘Cats from breaking through.
Despite the loss, there were multiple bright spots in this game. Here are three takeaways from the matchup on Tuesday night.
K.J Windham’s breakout performance
In the wake of season-ending injuries to Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach, there’s been much chatter about guys like Justin Mullins and former redshirt sophomore Jordan Clayton needing to step up. But one guy that hasn’t been talked about much is K.J Windham. Many branded him as a future star on the team, and he certainly added some weight to that vision with last night’s performance.
It was a career night for Windham – he recorded his highest scoring performance of the season with 20 points and knocked down a career-high four threes. Fifteen of those 20 points came in the second half, when he was the catalyst for Northwestern’s comeback. His shotmaking seemed to make him more confident in all aspects of the game, as he also recorded a steal and took advantage of his extended minutes in the second half with efficiency on both ends.
This performance could be life-changing for Windham. He has proven what he can accomplish to Chris Collins and the entire Northwestern squad, and his opportunities will continue to grow not just this season but in future years. His status as a future star seems a lot more plausible now, and he should certainly get more playing time as the ‘Cats move forward this season.
Situational Defense continues to hamper the ‘Cats
Anybody who’s closely followed the Wildcats this season knows this pattern by heart. Northwestern’s defense in the final minutes of close games has been disappointing all season, and last night was no different. Much of these issues have been fundamental problems—not boxing out, failing to grab rebounds, committing silly fouls while trying to go for steals, not staying vertical and getting over-aggressive on defense.
The free throw shooting disparity last night reflects these issues perfectly. Oregon shot 25-of-28 from the line, while Northwestern was 5-of-10. Even setting aside the awful percentage from the ‘Cats, what’s even more striking is that 12 of Oregon’s free throws came in the final five minutes, which was more than the Wildcat’s full game attempts. Some may attribute Oregon’s higher attempts to biased officiating, although in this game most of the fouls called against the Wildcats were justifiable and largely caused by reckless defense in the closing minutes.
Oregon recording that many free throws reflects Northwestern’s defensive issues down the stretch. Whether on the road or at home, their opponents are seemingly in the bonus early and often in the second half. This lackluster defense prevents the ‘Cats offense from generating enough points to make a formidable comeback. It’s becoming the same stuff on different days for the Wildcats and a large reason they continue to fall in these close games.
The grittiness and “rise up to the challenge” mentality is on display
The Wildcats could’ve easily rolled over. Facing a difficult remaining schedule, with the chances of making an NCAA tournament slim to none, stuck near the bottom of their conference and having lost their two senior stars. There were many reasons for NU to throw in the towel and start prepping for next year. But they haven’t given up.
Since the injuries to Barnhizer and Leach, all the guys have stepped up. This includes fellow senior Ty Berry, who shot an electric 8-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from three to score a team-high 23 points. Nick Martinelli is providing an early glimpse into his role as the Cats’ best player and “head of the snake.” Matt Nicholson, Mullins, Clayton and of course Windham have all stepped up and found ways to be valuable role players and keep games competitive.
It may not be enough for Northwestern to win any major accolades, but it is certainly inspiring to watch the team continue to fight even with its back against the wall.