The Wildcats are heading to the third round of the Big Ten Tournament, where they will look to avenge their loss to Purdue.
In what has become one of the most bizarre streaks in Big Ten basketball, Northwestern once again got the better of Indiana. This win — the Wildcats' seventh consecutive against the Hoosiers, dating back to 2022 — advanced NU to the third round of the Big Ten Tournament.
The No. 15 seed 'Cats took down the No. 10 seed Hoosiers on Wednesday, 74-61, to win their second Big Ten Tournament game in as many days. Northwestern defeated Penn State in the opening round and will face No. 7 seed Purdue on Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Wednesday's win over Indiana marks only the second time in school history that Northwestern has won multiple games in a single Big Ten Tournament, joining the magical 2016-17 season. Unlike that team, the 2025-26 Wildcats will need to win four more games in the next four days to reach March Madness.
Nick Martinelli put up a memorable performance in a game that would've been his last, had Northwestern lost. The Big Ten's leading scorer totaled 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting while also adding four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
It was also a career-best game for Jake West. The freshman point guard dropped 18 points in 36 minutes, with 14 coming in the first half, as well as four assists and three boards.
Northwestern's defense held Indiana to just 5-of-20 shooting in the second half. The Hoosiers made 60% of their shots in the first half, but were unable to find that same consistency down the stretch.
Since falling to 10-16 with a loss to Nebraska on Feb. 14, Northwestern has won five of its last seven games. The losses — to Purdue and Minnesota — came by five points combined.
Mar 11, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Angelo Ciaravino (44) defends against Indiana Hoosiers forward Tucker Devries (12) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesIndiana connected twice from downtown early, resembling the same start the Hoosiers had the last time the two teams played. Northwestern's supporting cast outside of Martinelli managed to keep IU within reach, though, with some timely buckets from West and Jayden Reid.
Chris Collins made the puzzling decision to shake up his lineup after the Under-16 timeout, despite his team shooting the ball well to start. The Wildcats' head coach opted for a more defense-focused group, but when that unit still struggled to stop the Hoosiers from scoring anyway, Northwestern returned to its previous lineup.
Northwestern did not score in the two minutes West was on the bench. Indiana's lead grew to as large as 10 until West and Martinelli began to light up the Hoosiers' defense.
The senior-freshman duo helped Northwestern end the half on a 21-12 run over the final nine minutes, closing the gap to 37-36 at the intermission. West alone contributed 14 points on 75% shooting, while Martinelli took advantage of Indiana no longer double-teaming him.
Northwestern's hot streak continued into the second. Martinelli got the action started with a putback layup, then a Tre Singleton steal turned into a crafty finish through traffic by West. A three-pointer by Martinelli marked a 7-2 run by the 'Cats in just over two minutes.
The Hoosiers cut it back to one, but the Northwestern defense swarmed Indiana every time IU got the ball. Nothing on offense was easy for Indiana, as the Hoosiers shot just 2-of-10 from the floor over the first 10 minutes of the second half. NU opened up a 60-47 advantage after Reid knocked down a three-pointer.
Indiana's scoring went ice-cold, while Martinelli continued to find the bottom of the net. Thanks to a commitment to offensive rebounding and lockdown defense, the 'Cats were able to wind down the clock in the final minutes and secure Northwestern's ticket to the third round of the Big Ten Tournament.
The 'Cats will have their chance to get revenge against No. 7 seed Purdue on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT.