Chris Collins Shrugs Off Missed Foul Call in Late Loss to UCLA

Northwestern nearly completed a massive comeback.

Feb 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Chris Collins looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Northwestern trailed UCLA by 14 points with 2:15 left in the game on Monday. Two minutes later, the Wildcats were down by just two with the chance to tie.

A spectacular 13-1 run fueled by grit, tenacity and the Wildcats' veterans brought NU almost all the way back in a thrilling match against the NCAA Tournament-bound Bruins. However, as junior forward Nick Martinelli drove into the paint to attempt the tying layup, he lost the ball after being hit on the arm by UCLA guard Eric Dailey Jr.

No foul was called on the play, and a Flagrant 1 was assessed to freshman K.J. Windham after he attempted to commit a common foul and send UCLA to the free throw line. UCLA knocked down all four shots from the charity stripe and eventually won, 73-69.

College basketball reporters and Northwestern fans were rightfully frustrated by the late-game sequence, the latest in a season full of Wildcat games that have seemingly come down to the referees' discretion.

Like this *has* to be a foul, right? Northwestern has had one of the more cursed end-of-game years I can remember… not sure they’ve had a single one of these go their way this year. pic.twitter.com/kWIAXJlPyl

— Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) March 4, 2025

When asked about the play and whether officiating was fair in the second half, Northwestern coach Chris Collins said he thought a foul should've been called, but opted against criticizing the referees.

"I like my paycheck," Collins said after the game. "I'd like to be able to coach on Saturday, because if I say something, I'm not going to be judged the way others are. We've just got to play, that's just the reality. You've got to accept the calls."

Collins noted that the NU coaching staff tells the team not to expect to receive calls and to keep playing its brand of basketball. As for the Flagrant 1 on Windham, Collins was still unsure about the decision, but said he needed another look.

"To me, it's got to be pretty darn egregious to call the Flagrant at that time," Collins said. "Maybe it was, I'm not saying it wasn't. These are really good officials. It looked, from my vantage point, like K.J. tried to make a play on the ball [from] behind, but that wasn't what the referee saw and that was game. Unfortunately, we fought hard and came up just a little bit short."

Northwestern will travel to College Park, Maryland for its regular season finale.