Even in heartbreak, Northwestern’s fight was the story on Senior Night

As Nick Martinelli walked out for Senior Night and paused to take it in, Welsh-Ryan Arena rose with him. The Glenview, Illinois native has poured everything into this season, carrying Northwestern night after night. He leads the conference in scoring at 22.7 points per game and is on track to finish as the Big Ten’s leading scorer for the second straight year, a rare kind of consistency in a league that makes nothing easy.

Northwestern wanted to send him off the right way one final time in Evanston and, for 20 minutes, it looked possible. The ‘Cats played with the edge they have flashed against top teams, the same tone they set against Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois (at home), jumping on Purdue early and controlling the half. They defended with purpose, moved the ball with pace and built a nine-point lead by the break. When the teams headed to the locker rooms, the crowd felt it too. The building had that familiar crackle, the kind that makes you think about what might happen when the final buzzer sounds.

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The second half turned into a grind. Purdue chipped away, Northwestern answered and the lead swung back and forth until Purdue finally nudged in front. Still, Northwestern kept finding just enough to stay within reach. With the Wildcats down two late, Jordan Clayton drilled a fading, shot-clock-beating three, a tough shot that landed like a jolt. Suddenly Northwestern was back in front, 66-65, and the upset felt real again.

But the closing stretch unraveled. A couple defensive breakdowns and a costly foul on Braden Smith opened the door. C.J. Cox slipped free for a clean look. Turnovers followed. Possessions that could have sealed the moment instead gave Purdue extra chances, and the margin for error disappeared.

It was another gutting finish in a season defined by narrow gaps and nagging what-ifs, the kind of loss that lingers because the opponent is good enough to punish every mistake and talented enough to make a deep March run. Fans can point to…

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Publish date : 2026-03-05 17:48:00

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