Northwestern Men’s Basketball Rolls Past Mercyhurst in Season Opener
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Northwestern men’s basketball tipped off its 2025–26 campaign dominantly on Monday night by defeating Mercyhurst 70–47 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. However, the Wildcats shook off an uneven start and relied on their defensive pressure. But they soon balanced the scoring to comfortably open the season 1–0.
Wildcats' Early Struggles Turn into First-Half Control
The Wildcats wasted no time getting on the board. Arrinten Page’s opening tip set up Tre Singleton for a smooth fadeaway jumper. Nick Martinelli followed with early buckets, and Northwestern’s offense started there. Page then dished a long pass to Jordan Clayton, who set up Martinelli for a three-pointer to give NU an early cushion.
Started the season off right‼️ pic.twitter.com/7aW50pL13C
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) November 4, 2025
The Wildcats went through a brief cold stretch from deep, but free throws from Justin Mullins and Martinelli helped them keep the advantage.
Defensively, NU began to lock in, forcing the Lakers into tough, contested shots. Jayden Reid’s drive and Page’s trips to the line stretched the margin to 19–10. New faces like Max Green, Jake West, and Tyler Kropp entered the game to provide energy. And although Northwestern’s offense sputtered at times, its defense never relented.
Coach Chris Collins implemented a full-court press midway through the first half, limiting Mercyhurst’s transition opportunities. The Lakers managed to trim the deficit to three before K.J. Windham sparked a run, draining a three and scoring in transition. Martinelli added a strong post move to push the lead to 36–25 heading into halftime.
The Team's Second Half Surged to Seals the Win
Mercyhurst briefly found life to start the second half, but Singleton’s powerful and-one drive reignited Northwestern’s momentum. Page followed up with a crowd-pleasing dunk that electrified the arena, and his presence in the paint continued to overwhelm the Lakers. Windham stayed hot from beyond the arc, knocking down two more threes to stretch the lead to 48–29.
Reid’s free throws and Mullins’ crafty reverse layup extended the advantage past 20 points, allowing Collins to experiment with rotations down the stretch. Singleton and Martinelli continued to anchor the second unit, while freshman Max Green hit his first collegiate three-pointer off a fastbreak assist from Singleton.
Even when Mercyhurst pressed late, Reid and Page responded with a highlight-reel alley-oop to keep Northwestern firmly in control. Freshman Phoenix Gill capped his collegiate debut with two late free throws to secure the 70–47 victory.
Page made a memorable debut, posting a game-high 18 points and a career-best 12 rebounds, dominating both ends of the floor. Martinelli followed closely with 17 points, while Windham provided a spark off the bench with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting from deep. Reid and Clayton combined for six assists, showing poise in orchestrating the offense.
With its first win in the books, Northwestern (1–0) will remain at home to host Boston University on November 7 at 5 p.m. CT.
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.