Northwestern Men’s Basketball Shows Fight but Falls Short on the Road at Iowa

The outcome wasn’t for Northwestern at Iowa even after great blueprint

Northwestern Men’s Basketball | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Northwestern men’s basketball left Iowa City with another tough lesson on Sunday afternoon. They fell 76–70 to the Iowa Hawkeyes in a game that once again showed both the Wildcats’ grit and their growing frustrations in Big Ten play. The loss marked Northwestern’s third straight conference defeat. They dropped the Wildcats to 10–14 overall and 2–11 in league action after navigating a brutal stretch that included Washington and No. 5 Illinois.

Jake West Emerges as a Bright Spot for Northwestern Wildcats

The effort was there. The fight was there. The finish, once again, was not! In a loud road environment and against a red-hot Iowa team, Northwestern found itself chasing a historic individual performance and struggling to close the gap late.

FINAL | Iowa 76, Northwestern 70

— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) February 8, 2026

Iowa entered the matchup playing its best basketball of the season, and the Hawkeyes showed why early. With the win, Iowa improved to 18–5 overall and 8–4 in Big Ten play, securing its sixth consecutive conference victory for the first time since the 2015–16 season.

While the final score stung, Northwestern found a major positive in the breakout performance of freshman guard Jake West. Entering the game averaging just 3.5 points per contest, West played with confidence and fearlessness well beyond his experience level.

West poured in a career-high 18 points, missing only one shot from the field. He knocked down four three-pointers and punctuated his night with a powerful dunk that ignited Northwestern’s second-half rally.

Senior forward Nick Martinelli once again led the team in scoring, finishing with 21 points. Together, Martinelli and West provided the bulk of Northwestern’s offense. However, the Wildcats struggled to find consistent scoring elsewhere as Iowa’s defense tightened.

One of the most surprising storylines of the afternoon was Northwestern’s difficulty taking care of the basketball. The Wildcats entered the game leading the nation in ball security at just 8.2 turnovers per game.

Northwestern settled down after halftime and finished with 10 total turnovers, but the early damage had already been done. Foul trouble added to the challenge, with five Wildcats picking up at least two fouls in the opening half. Head coach Chris Collins was forced to shuffle his rotation, disrupting rhythm and continuity.

Iowa took advantage, heading into the locker room with a 39–34 halftime lead and keeping Northwestern on its heels.

Late Push Comes Up Just Short

The Hawkeyes created separation early in the second half. A three-pointer from Cooper Koch, followed by a Stirtz layup, gave Iowa a 51–40 lead. That's the first double-digit advantage with just over 14 minutes remaining.

Northwestern refused to fold. The Wildcats responded with a 13–2 run, capped by West’s emphatic dunk, trimming the deficit to just three. Momentum briefly swung, but it was short-lived. KJ Singleton fouled out with just over four minutes to play, and Iowa stretched the lead back to six before Stirtz delivered the decisive step-back three.

Martinelli’s late triple cut the margin to four with 28 seconds left. However, a missed three-pointer from Jayden Reid sealed Northwestern’s fate.

Interior struggles continued to haunt the Wildcats, who scored just 20 points in the paint after managing only 22 against Illinois earlier in the week. Northwestern was also outrebounded by 12, making it difficult to generate second-chance opportunities.

Northwestern returns to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Wednesday to face No. 2 Michigan.

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