Martinelli's 24 Points Power Northwestern to 81-79 Win vs. DePaul

Gavin Dorsey

Nov 15, 2025, 04:37

Gavin Dorsey

Nov 15, 2025, 04:37

Updated at: Nov 15, 2025, 04:37

The Wildcats won a tightly contested contest over their cross-town rivals in a physical match.

In a game where both teams seemingly spent more time at the foul line than actually playing basketball, the Wildcats gritted out their toughest victory of the young season.

Northwestern (4-0) and DePaul (2-2) combined for a whopping 48 personal fouls and 51 free throw attempts, but the 'Cats prevailed with an 81-79 win over the Blue Demons.

Nick Martinelli was named the game's Fisher-McGrath MVP Award after scoring a game-leading 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting and grabbing five rebounds. The All-Big Ten forward drilled a pair of free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining to win the game.

Transfers Arrinten Page and Jayden Reid put up 22 and 17 points, respectively, to complement Martinelli. The Wildcats' Big Three and freshman Tre Singleton all battled foul trouble with four personals apiece, but did not foul out of the game.

Layden Blocker (14 points) and CJ Gunn (13) led the way for DePaul, which outrebounded NU, 34-25. The Blue Demons also brought in 16 offensive rebounds to Northwestern's six, which proved to be a recurring theme throughout the night.

Northwestern and DePaul began the game at a blistering pace, pushing the ball down the court while playing physical, aggressive defense. Chris Collins rotated through 11 players over the first eight minutes, trying to find a combination that could slow the Blue Demons on defense, but the game remained tight due to Northwestern's turnover struggles and DePaul's offensive rebounding.

The 'Cats used a 7-0 run to take a 25-19 lead, but five quick points from Gunn helped DePaul regain the advantage. Northwestern held the Blue Demons to just one made shot over the final five minutes of the first half, but DePaul's dominance on the offensive glass was rewarded with enough free throw attempts to surge ahead.

Following a missed three-pointer by Jordan Clayton, DePaul was fouled on the rebound and went to the line. A sequence of made free throws, missed free throws and offensive rebounds ensued, resulting in a four-point run without the 'Cats even touching the ball. Triples from Max Green and K.J. Windham prevented DePaul from pulling away, but Northwestern still trailed by two at the break.

DePaul took a 44-42 lead into halftime, having hauled in more offensive rebounds (10) than the 'Cats had total (9).

Despite Martinelli and Page's efforts to take the Blue Demons by storm to start the second, DePaul's offensive rebounding kept creating more opportunities. Both teams continued their physical play and spent much of the second half in the bonus.

As the game came down to the wire, Collins opted to take Martinelli and Reid off the court with four fouls. True freshman Tre Singleton — on his 19th birthday — took advantage of the moment, battling through his own four fouls with difficult finishes in the paint. His back-to-back athletic baskets gave Northwestern a 77-76 lead with 2:17 remaining.

DePaul's Kruz Mcclure answered a Reid layup with an and-one layup to tie the game at 79. The 'Cats had possession with a three-second difference between the shot and game clock, Reid missed a potential lead-taking shot, and Martinelli grabbed the critical offensive rebound. Upon being fouled, the Northwestern captain drilled both free throws, handing his team the win.

The Wildcats will head to White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, next to compete in the Greenbrier Tip-Off. NU is set to play Virginia on November 21 and South Carolina on November 23.

Martinelli's 24 Points Power Northwestern to 81-79 Win vs. DePaul