Northwestern picked up a much-needed victory on Saturday afternoon.
After a frustrating three-game skid, Northwestern bounced back at home with a blowout win.
Northwestern (6-4, 0-2 B1G) recovered from the losing streak and defeated Jackson St. (1-9, 0-0 SWAC). Though encountering minutes of cold hands and nearly losing their advantage once in the first half, the Wildcats closed out the dominant win in the second half.
For the ‘Cats, Nick Martinelli led the way with 22 points and five rebounds. Arrinten Page and Angelo Ciaravino contributed 12 and 13 points, respectively. Northwestern did a lot of its damage at the free throw line, shooting 30-for-39 from the stripe.
For the Tigers, Daeshun Ruffin scored 20 points and was the only player to reach double-digits for JSU.
Jackson State won the tip, but Northwestern had the first score, with Page finding Martinelli under the rim for a strong two. JSU got on the board as Ruffin drew a foul on the left post from Page and added two free throws. Angelo Ciaravino then slammed in a powerful drive from the right side. After gauging some stops on the defensive end, the Wildcats took an early lead at 6-2.
Northwestern fell into a slight scoring drought for a minute, while Ruffin cut back with a jumper. Martinelli stepped up with two made free throws, and after the Wildcats forced another turnover from the Tigers, the senior scored another two through the fastbreak.
The Tigers immediately fought back with five points by Ruffin within 30 seconds. Jayden Reid also responded with four points, including an and-one fastbreak layup that was generated from a steal. Mike Williams became the second Jackson St. player to record scores with a jumper at the 12:04 mark, cutting the deficit to three.
Northwestern then deployed the second unit. Max Green roamed around and found Jake West outside the perimeter. The first-year point guard found space and knocked down a three-pointer, extending the lead to six. The Wildcats continued to find an extra scoring rhythm by creating space, benefiting from feeds while the group was maneuvering ball movement.
Page built up a momentum with another contested layup on the post, and West followed with two free throws. Singleton, who blocked Deyan Kolev’s layup, took a straightforward fastbreak drive on the other end and drew another foul. Northwestern dragged the Tigers into a drought and led 25-11 before a media timeout with nearly eight minutes left until halftime.
After Singleton nailed one of two attempts, Jackson St. rejuvenated its offense with five straight points. A Wildcats’ sloppy turnover allowed the opponent to add another two with Devin Ree’s pull-up jumper on the elbow. Ruffin then caught fire on the ensuing possession and nailed a contested triple, reducing the gap to just seven points.
The Tigers’ rally continued after Ciaravino missed one-of-two free throws, as Dorian McMillian scored a putback two on a second chance. Northwestern awakened with four more points, by Ciaravino and Reid, regaining a 10-point lead. Martinelli drew a reaching foul and added two from the free-throw line. As the Tigers kept on pressing, Northwestern again ripped off their defensive line with ball movement. Singleton and Ciaravino piled up four points while Jackson St. remained dormant.
With one minute left to the intermission, the Wildcats added three points from Singleton and West from the line, extending their advantage to 17 points heading into halftime.
Reid led the scoreboard with nine points in the first half, followed by a steal and a block. Martinelli and Page, collecting four boards each, posted eight and seven points, respectively. Ciaravino added seven points and grabbed two rebounds. On the other side, Ruffin served as a major Tigers’ scorer with 17 points.
Turning into the second half, Jordan Clayton, making his second straight start of the season, splashed a corner three for his first field goal of the game. Northwestern built a 20-point lead after Martinelli scored a layup. Clayton attempted his second triple from the same spot and missed it, but Ciaravino picked up a second chance and made a putback.
Building on momentum early in the second half, Martinelli cruised for six straight points, including a straight three on top of the key and a reverse layup through the contact, leading to a timeout with the ‘Cats leading by 23 points.
After the stoppage, Reid unleashed a long pass to the other side where Green was wide open. The shooter created space with a pump fake and drained a trey on the left wing. Singleton followed with an and-one play after a cut. Though the Tigers began a full-court press, Northwestern broke free with a series of passes, again finding a wide-open Green for a three, extending the lead to 26 points.
The Wildcats remained unfazed after the timeout. Martinelli had six straight points, breaking away from the Tigers’ defensive pressure. Leading by 28 points with roughly nine minutes left, Northwestern played its second unit with only Page on the floor from the starters. Justin Mullins got on the board with a corner three, bringing the lead to 30.
Minutes later, Reid and Ciaravino returned. After linking up with Page for a feed, Ciaravino laid the ball in down the paint with ease. Page then burst out with a fastbreak hammer after a steal on the midcourt, establishing a 37-point cushion at the 6:10 mark.
The Wildcats then put in a full bench lineup for the rest of the game. Mullins and Green combined for five points after a three-minute drought. Northwestern rolled to a 93-53 victory against Jackson State. Although it wasn’t against the strongest competition, it was a much-needed victory for NU.
The ‘Cats will be back in action on Tuesday night against Valparaiso. The game is at 7 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on Peacock.
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Rapid Reaction: Northwestern takes care of business, defeating Jackson State 93-53 – Inside NU
