The Wildcats closed out their 2025-26 nonconference slate with a W on Tuesday night, but NU's 80-60 victory over Howard was far from convincing.

Despite a stellar outing from Nick Martinelli — who totaled 32 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals — Northwestern struggled against the Bison for much of the game. The 'Cats led by just three at the half and didn't pull away until late, when an 8-0 run turned a five-point difference into a lead that ballooned until the final buzzer.

Here are three of the biggest takeaways (outside of Martinelli's brilliance) from the Wildcats' 20-point win that moved them to 8-5 on the season.

Arrinten Page benched

Northwestern was forced to play Butler without its top scorer in Martinelli, who suffered a concussion in practice. Martinelli was cleared for the Wildcats' game against Howard, but NU was still missing half of its frontcourt duo on Tuesday night. Transfer center Arrinten Page was surprisingly absent from the 'Cats' starting lineup and did not play at all, despite being available. Page's benching was due to "a violation of team standards."

"We don't really have rules in our program, we have what I call standards," Chris Collins said after the game. "Sometimes, when the standards aren't met, there are things that come along with that. He made a mistake. You move on from it. You get ready. I was just so proud of our other guys. That's what a team is. He's stepped up for others; there have been other games when other guys haven't done well and he's stepped up. Really proud of our team."

Without their 6-foot-11 center, Howard crushed the Wildcats on the glass in the first half. The Bison earned a 20-10 rebounding advantage through the break, including a 7-0 offensive board disparity. Those figures balanced out in the second half, thanks to four offensive rebounds apiece from Martinelli, Tre Singleton and Angelo Ciaravino, but the issue has plagued Northwestern this entire season — even with Page.

Collins added that he expects Page to play in the Wildcats' next game, against Minnesota on Saturday.

Justin Mullins stays ready for his opportunity

It feels like Chris Collins has a wheel that he spins before every game, numbered 1-30, that helps him decide how many minutes Justin Mullins will play that night. The senior wing has logged the following minute totals throughout the season in order: 19, 10, 26, 17, 24, 8, 2, 4, 4, 18, 27, 6. Without a consistent spot in the rotation, Mullins has been tasked with the incredibly difficult challenge of finding his rhythm despite not knowing when his time will come.

Throughout it all, Collins has repeated the same message: stay ready, because we need you. Mullins scored his most points in a Northwestern uniform against Cleveland State when he racked up 16 points, just three days after playing only 10 minutes vs. Boston. That same Mullins appeared on Tuesday, as the versatile guard put on a strong showing.

Mullins was a perfect 4-of-4 from deep in the first half, matching his career-high for triples in a game as Northwestern's sole outside shooting threat. He also contributed strong on-ball defense and notched a highlight-reel chasedown block in transition. Mullins ended up finishing with 12 points in 18 minutes and had a plus/minus of +10.

Tre Singleton continues to improve

Northwestern's highest-rated recruit in program history got off to a tough start to his career. Tre Singleton shot a combined 4-of-11 from the floor over his first two games in purple, but since then, the four-star true freshman has slowly put the pieces together.

In 36 minutes against Howard, Singleton had his best game yet. After getting the 'Cats on the board with his first two buckets, the Jeffersonville, Indiana, native proved just how well-rounded his skillset is. Singleton was aggressive on the glass, physical with his on-ball defense and relentless on both ends of the floor. The highly-touted 19-year-old tallied a career-high 17 points in addition to eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks.