Northwestern Runs Away Late, Hands Penn State Eighth Straight Loss
Penn State’s search for its first Big Ten win - and first victory of the new year - will have to wait a little longer. The Nittany Lions dropped their eighth straight game Thursday night, falling 94-73 on the road to Northwestern in a game that started with promise but unraveled in the second half.
Things looked encouraging early. Ivan Jurić won the opening tip, and after a few traded buckets, Penn State was matching the Wildcats shot for shot.
Eli Rice, the team’s most efficient three-point shooter coming into the night, came out firing. He hit three of his first four from deep, giving the Nittany Lions some early rhythm and tying the game at 6-6 and again later at 16-16.
Rice’s hot hand was keeping Penn State in it, but Northwestern’s offense was quietly building momentum. Still, when Freddie Dilione V drove hard to the rim, absorbed contact, and converted the and-one to give Penn State a 20-19 lead, it felt like the visitors might be ready to flip the script.
But every time Penn State looked ready to seize control, Northwestern had an answer.
Tre Singleton, who came in averaging just over seven points per game, gave the Wildcats a lift with nine first-half points, including a close-range finish that helped stretch Northwestern’s lead to seven late in the half. The Wildcats were shooting nearly 60% from the field at that point and had a slight edge on the boards.
Even with Northwestern holding the lead for the bulk of the opening 20 minutes, Penn State wasn’t far behind. Jurić capped a strong first half with a three-point play to pull the Nittany Lions within one at 41-40, but back-to-back buckets from Nick Martinelli pushed the Wildcats’ lead to 45-40 at the break.
Martinelli, already having a standout season, was just getting started.
Penn State opened the second half with a pair of trips to the free throw line, but both Josh Reed and Kayden Mingo split their attempts. Those small misses would loom large as the game progressed.
A turnover by Dilione led to a fast-break dunk from Angelo Ciaravino, and just like that, Northwestern was up 55-44. The Nittany Lions called timeout, trying to reset, but the Wildcats had found their rhythm.
Martinelli continued to torch the Penn State defense, hitting mid-range jumpers, drawing contact, and finishing through it. He reached 24 points midway through the second half, marking his 17th game this season with at least 20 points - the most in the country.
To their credit, Penn State didn’t fold right away. Reed and Mingo sparked a brief rally, cutting the deficit to seven. Jurić added a dunk to cap the run, but just when the Nittany Lions looked like they might make things interesting, Northwestern slammed the door.
Singleton and Ciaravino responded with back-to-back buckets, and Martinelli delivered another and-one to stretch the lead back to double digits. A pair of Penn State turnovers led to more Northwestern points, and suddenly the Wildcats were up 76-61 with six minutes to play.
From there, it was all about closing time.
Martinelli hit three straight free throws on separate possessions to reach 32 points, just two shy of his career-high. He eventually matched that mark with his fourth three-pointer of the night - a season-best - and finished with 34 points, tying his personal record set earlier this year against Rutgers.
Ciaravino joined the scoring party, crossing the 20-point mark himself as Northwestern continued to pile it on. A barrage of late threes sealed the deal, and the Wildcats cruised to a 94-73 win.
It was another tough night for a Penn State team that’s now 0-9 in conference play and still searching for answers. The Nittany Lions showed flashes - Rice’s early shooting, Jurić’s inside presence, Mingo’s energy - but turnovers, missed opportunities at the line, and defensive lapses proved too much to overcome.
Injury Notes
Penn State was shorthanded Thursday night. Forward Tibor Mirtič, who was listed as questionable while rehabbing a knee injury, did not suit up. Saśa Ciani also remained out with an undisclosed injury.
What’s Next
The Nittany Lions return home this Sunday to take on Minnesota at the Bryce Jordan Center. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m., and it marks the first game of February - and another chance for Penn State to finally snap its losing skid.
With the Golden Gophers sitting just below .500, it could be a winnable matchup. But for a Penn State team that’s still looking to put together a complete 40 minutes, nothing is coming easy right now.