Northwestern Looks Cleaner, Dominates Boston University in 76-52 Win

Ryan Cole

Nov 8, 2025, 00:52

Ryan Cole

Nov 8, 2025, 00:52

Updated at: Nov 8, 2025, 00:52

Northwestern controlled the game all night against Boston University.

Northwestern needed a more convincing win tonight at Welsh-Ryan Arena against Boston University. On Monday, the 'Cats handled business against Mercyhurst, but they didn't play up to their standard.

The offense wasn't clicking. Jayden Reid got two early fouls, throwing everything out of sync. While Northwestern was never really in danger of losing the game, head coach Chris Collins didn't crack a smile all night.

Tonight against BU was a different story. The 'Cats got off to a fast start, leading 17-4 at the under-12 media timeout. They never really looked back, dominating from start to finish on both sides of the ball, eventually winning 76-52.

Nick Martinelli led the team in scoring with 20. Reid, who stayed out of foul trouble, was the second-leading scorer at 17.

Junior forward Arrinten Page was all over the stat sheet, finishing with seven points, seven rebounds, two blocks and three steals. For those who were concerned about his ability to replace Matt Nicholson on the defensive end, tonight was a statement game.

Reid looked like a completely different player than the one who played against Mercyhurst earlier this week, especially in the first half. He wasted no time, getting two quick buckets in the game's first couple minutes. One was an impressive fade-away jumper over a much taller defender from mid-range.

His speed is electric. The junior plays with his hair on fire, cutting everywhere, getting out in the fast break, switching on defense. Everything he did against BU looked fast.

In the middle of the first half, Reid had one transition bucket where he corralled an errant pass, weaved through multiple defenders and finished at the rim. He also made a three-pointer, something Northwestern is going to need him to start doing this season.

At halftime, the 'Cats led 45-26, and Northwestern would only widen that margin in the second frame.

K.J. Windham finally got on the board with a three-ball at around the 13-minute mark of the second half. It was a frustrating game for the sophomore, who can still look a little wild out there from time to time. He's still young, though, and it would still not be surprising to see him starting games for the 'Cats in the near future.

Freshmen Jake West and Tyler Kropp also still looked a little uncomfortable on the college court, but they both found some rhythm once the game was out of reach and they saw more consistent action.

Collins is giving his young guys plenty of run in the early part of this season, but it will be interesting to see how much playing time they get down the line. Kropp figures to be in a solid spot with the lack of depth at the center spot.

Tre Singleton, on the other hand, was more impressive. He didn't light up the stat sheet, finishing with four points and four boards, but he didn't turn the ball over and played his role on offense and defense well. The points will come if he keeps playing that way.

Angelo Ciaravino returned to the starting lineup against BU after sitting out earlier in the week with an injury. He had nine points in his season debut, playing 24 minutes.

The Wildcats will look to build off this momentum on Monday against Cleveland State. It will be their last game in Welsh-Ryan for almost a month.

Northwestern Looks Cleaner, Dominates Boston University in 76-52 Win