Three things we learned from Northwestern’s 84-80 loss to Penn State

A valiant effort with an unfortunate result.

The ‘Cats lost a close contest against Penn State on Thursday night, falling 84-80 after 40 minutes of hard-nosed basketball. Many fans were incensed at the referees for making multiple questionable calls, including an inadvertent whistle that robbed NU of a game-tying basket in the final seconds. But that’s not what we’re focusing on here. Let’s take a look at three developments that we can take away from Thursday night’s game.

Defense ruled the night

84-80 is a gaudy final score for a Big Ten game, but don’t be fooled. This was a gritty — and sometimes, very ugly — affair at Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions showed off their swarming defense early, holding the ‘Cats to just six points in the first seven minutes of action. But the purple and white responded with similar physicality. When it was all said and done, both teams combined for 33 turnovers.

NU ran into foul trouble almost immediately, dictating the flow of the game from early on. The ‘Cats were whistled a whopping 30 times, as leading scorers Ace Baldwin Jr. and Zach Hicks cashed in 22 of their combined 37 points off free throws. Baldwin was especially lethal at the line, shutting the door on a potential comeback with two last-second makes at the charity stripe.

In the final minutes, Penn State’s trap defense shut down the ‘Cats when it mattered most. NU went 1-for-6 in the last two minutes, including several close-range misses from its primary scoring options in Nick Martinelli, Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach. Most significantly, the Nittany Lions blanketed everybody on NU’s final offensive play, leaving Matthew Nicholson to dribble the ball out of bounds on the baseline. Penn State boasts one of the toughest defenses in the conference, but the ‘Cats need to clean things up in the biggest moments going forward.

The two freshman ‘Cats are for real

Thursday’s game was a coming-out party for both K.J. Windham and Angelo Ciaravino. With Ty Berry and Leach in early foul trouble, coach Chris Collins was forced to turn to his bench. The freshman duo did not disappoint. The 6-foot-3 Windham took flight for a spectacular block off the glass as soon as he checked in, just a preview for the frenetic energy he displayed all night. He relished the opportunity to guard the veteran Baldwin Jr., navigating around screens to hold him to just 1-for-7 shooting. Windham was also an offensive spark, making two threes off the catch and jamming a fastbreak dunk on his way to eight points.

Meanwhile, Ciaravino added eight points of his own in just nine minutes of action. He held his own as a defender and added some highlight plays to boot. In the first half, he spun like a top as he drove to the basket, finishing with a soft layup. Just a few minutes later, the Chicago native hit two threes off slick feeds from Barnhizer, the first from the corner as the shot clock wound down. It’s unlikely that Windham and Ciaravino will enter this early on a normal night, but if NU’s starters get in early foul trouble, Collins now knows he can rely on his freshmen to hold it down.

NU’s upcoming schedule is a gauntlet…but winnable

Things don’t get easier from here. NU’s next six games are as follows:

• at No. 20 Purdue (Jan. 5)
• vs. No. 18 Michigan State (Jan. 12)
• vs. Maryland (Jan. 16)
• at Michigan (Jan. 19)
• vs. Indiana (Jan. 22)
• at No. 22 Illinois (Jan. 26)

Yikes — those opponents sport a combined 65-18 record. I’m especially concerned about NU’s frontcourt, specifically Nicholson and Luke Hunger. Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, Maryland forwards Derik Queen and Julian Reese, Michigan big men Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf — these are all game-breakers that can drop 20 points or nab 10 rebounds on any given night.

Overall, the ‘Cats should be fine. They almost took down the Nittany Lions and their unbelievable defense on a night where their starters were benched two at a time with foul trouble. And looking on the bright side, all of those upcoming games (save for IU) will count as Quad 1 games, offering the Wildcats ample opportunity to boost the resume for Selection Sunday. Nonetheless, Collins is going to need continued greatness from Barnhizer and Martinelli if NU wants to compete with these potent offenses heading into its toughest stretch of the season. But after going toe to toe with Penn State on the road for a full 40 minutes, it seems like Northwestern can win no matter where it plays.