Another Overtime Heartbreaker Sinks Northwestern Men’s Basketball Against Rutgers

Northwestern Men’s Basketball Falls to Rutgers in Overtime Thriller

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

For the Northwestern Wildcats, the 2025–26 Big Ten season continues to feel painfully familiar. Strong starts turn into tight finishes, and close games keep slipping away at the worst possible moments. On Sunday afternoon in Piscataway, that pattern returned once again as Northwestern fell 77-75 to Rutgers in an overtime thriller that left the Wildcats searching for answers.

Northwestern's Nick Martinelli Delivers a Career Night

The loss dropped Northwestern to 8-8 overall and 0-5 in Big Ten play, marking the team’s fifth straight conference defeat. Four of those losses have now come by five points or fewer, underscoring just how thin the margin has been. While Rutgers improved to 9-8 and 2-4 in the league, Northwestern walked off the floor knowing another golden opportunity had vanished.

FINAL (OT) | Rutgers 77, Northwestern 75

— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) January 12, 2026

At the center of the afternoon was Nick Martinelli, who turned in the best scoring performance of his career. The Glenview native poured in a career-high 34 points, leading all scorers and carrying the Wildcats through long stretches of the game.

Despite his scoring outburst, the final result reflected a growing theme for the Wildcats. Northwestern looked in control early. The Wildcats opened the game with confident perimeter shooting, hitting four of their first seven attempts from three-point range. Martinelli knocked down two early triples, and Jake West added two more as part of a 10-2 run that pushed the lead to 23-11.

Northwestern finished at 41.3 percent from the field, while Rutgers shot 40.6 percent. Rutgers controlled the glass with a 47-40 rebounding advantage and managed to make two more free throws than Northwestern despite taking fewer attempts.

The Turning Point Before Halftime

The final minutes of the first half proved costly. Northwestern’s 12-point lead steadily disappeared as Rutgers attacked the basket and earned trips to the free-throw line. The Scarlet Knights closed the half on a 10-2 run, trimming the Wildcats’ advantage to just 35-33 at the break.

Early in the second half, the momentum officially shifted. With 15:36 remaining, Emmanuel Ogbole threw down a dunk that gave Rutgers its first lead of the game. With 39 seconds left, Tariq Francis was fouled on a jumper by West and calmly knocked down both free throws to put Rutgers ahead by one.

On the third attempt, Darren Buchanan Jr. scored on a putback layup and drew a foul from Jordan Clayton. A 59 percent free-throw shooter on the season, Buchanan split the pair, tying the game at 67 as regulation expired.

Martinelli opened overtime with another jumper. However, Rutgers answered with a 7-3 run led by a red-hot Francis. He finished with 30 points, including 23 after halftime and in overtime. Darren Buchanan Jr. added 14 points and 10 rebounds, providing key physicality throughout the game.

Page blocked Francis at the rim and converted two free throws to pull within 76-74. After forcing a steal on the inbounds pass, the Wildcats came up empty.

With nine seconds remaining, Northwestern fouled Buchanan, who again split his free throws. On the final possession, West drove the length of the floor, but Buchanan recovered to block the potential game-tying layup as time expired.

After leading by 12 and getting a career night from Martinelli, Northwestern was left with another overtime loss and another reminder of how unforgiving the Big Ten can be.

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