Northwestern Men’s Basketball Endures Difficult Night in Rivalry Loss to Illinois
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What was supposed to be a shot at history turned into a harsh reality check for Northwestern men’s basketball on Wednesday night. Inside a loud State Farm Center, the Wildcats ran into a No. 5 Illinois team operating at full throttle. They fell 84–44 in an in-state rivalry game that quickly slipped out of reach. Illinois extended its winning streak to 11 games, while Northwestern was left confronting one of its toughest nights of the season.
A Rivalry Game of Northwestern Wildcats That Slipped Away Early
The loss marked Northwestern’s largest defeat against Illinois since 1995. Northwestern entered Champaign hoping to snap a long-standing road drought and steal a marquee win against a top-five opponent.
FINAL | #5 Illinois 84, Northwestern 44
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) February 5, 2026
Early on, the Wildcats showed brief signs of resistance, but those moments faded quickly. Once Illinois found its rhythm, the physical and tactical gap between the two teams became impossible to ignore. By halftime, the Wildcats were already in a deep hole, trailing 47–19.
With Northwestern already struggling to regain momentum, Illinois guard Keaton Wagler launched a 50-foot heave from half court. The shot dropped cleanly as time expired, sending the crowd into a frenzy and the Wildcats into the locker room stunned.
Coming off a demanding road stretch that included a loss at Washington, Collins opened the game with an untraditional 2-1-2 zone, hoping to disrupt Illinois’ perimeter-heavy offense. For a brief window, the plan worked. Northwestern jumped out to a 5–2 lead as Illinois misfired on several open looks.
That window slammed shut at the 16:15 mark of the first half when David Mirkovic knocked down Illinois’ first three-pointer. From there, the Wildcats abandoned the zone, Illinois caught fire, and the game unraveled. The Fighting Illini ripped off a devastating 25–2 run, while Northwestern’s offense was unable to generate second chances.
Northwestern shot just 29 percent from the field and managed only four made three-pointers on 25 attempts. Illinois, meanwhile, buried a season-high 17 threes and dominated the glass by a staggering 50–20 margin.
The Wildcats’ 44 points marked their lowest output in a regular-season conference game since the 2019–20 season.
A Rare Off Night for Nick Martinelli
In what has been a breakout season, Nick Martinelli entered the game as the nation’s leading scorer. Wednesday, however, proved to be a rare anomaly. Constant double-teams and the physical presence of Illinois’ frontcourt limited Martinelli to just four points on 2-of-10 shooting, his lowest total of the season.
Freshman forward Tre Singleton led Northwestern with eight points, continuing to gain valuable experience in Big Ten play. Sophomore guard K.J. Windham also made the most of his second-half minutes, knocking down a three-pointer, dishing out two assists, and grabbing two rebounds. Windham was notably the only Wildcat to finish with a positive plus-minus rating.
Northwestern now returns home at 10–13 overall and 2–10 in Big Ten play, searching for stability and confidence as February winds down. Collins did not shy away from the reality of the performance, acknowledging the gap between the Wildcats and one of the league’s elite teams.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.