The final game of heralded senior guard Michael “Juice” Thompson’s career came to a thrilling end late Wednesday night in an arena 1,800 miles away from home, as Northwestern sputtered down the stretch and fell to Washington State by a final margin of 69-66. Battling for the fourth and final bid to Madison Square Garden for the NIT semifinals, the Cougars and Wildcats with relatively similar NIT histories; neither team had advanced to the semifinals, and WSU had participated in an NIT quarterfinal only once and lost. Against the second-seeded Washington State Cougars (22-12, 9-9 Pac-10), Northwestern fell behind early in the first half by as much as 14 points before a torrid start to the second half evened the score at 38-38. The Cougars, led by NBA-bound junior Klay Thompson and one-time disgraced forward DeAngelo Casto, will advance to face Wichita State next Tuesday, while Northwestern will see its greatest postseason success come to an end.
Hero of the Game | Michael “Juice” Thompson and Alex Marcotullio
Arguably the greatest player in Northwestern history contributed his typical yeoman’s work, finishing with 18 points and five rebounds. Time and time again, Thompson directed and maintained the emotional balance of the team during a lackluster first half and an aggressive second stanza. Despite finishing only 3-of-12 from the 3-point arc, Thompson’s 129th consecutive career start featured the very best from Juice, gutting it out both on the offensive and defensive sides of the court.
Marcotullio’s remarkable efficiency demonstrated the rapid growth in maturity that the sophomore has taken this season, finishing with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Had either one of his two attempts at overtime’s end went in, Marcotullio would have taken full control of this accolade, but what’s left to commend is his now-consistent contribution of defensive harassment and sniper mentality.
Stat of the Game | Two points in overtime
We can pick any statistic of note and pronounce it as the most significant in this contest – Shurna’s putrid 3-of-13 shooting, lack of bench scoring (two points), number of fouls – but it was the offensive stagnancy in overtime that highlights another high-energy contest that fell out of the ‘Cats favor. Reminiscent of the same problems in overtime against Ohio State two weeks ago, Northwestern failed to generate any offensive consistency, with the only two points created by a cutting Drew Crawford layup. Unable to break Washington State’s aggressive defense, the Princeton offense came to a sputtering halt, as Northwestern went only 1-of-10 in the final stanza, and firing blanks on all eight of their 3-point attempts. Against a similarly putrid Washington State offense that produced five points, the decision fell to, unfortunately, whose offense was least hindered.
Turning Point | Hours before the game & 0.2 seconds left in regulation, Abe Lodwick at the free-throw line
By no means did any point in overtime suggest that it was the turning point of the game; the backdrop to the final session was a reckless foul by Crawford on Cougars forward Abe Lodwick, who, at that point, was noted more for his rebounds and fouls than his offensive prowess. With the game tied at 64-64, and the Cougars in transition, Crawford fouled Lodwick, who was receiving a pass, just before the buzzer sounded, and sent him to the charity stripe for two shots. Needing only one to realistically ice the game, Lodwick missed both, and sent the game into overtime.
But perhaps the more significant decision of the night fell to Washington State athletic director Bill Moos, who reinstated Casto after suspending the forward on charges of marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. However, in light of “new information” which Moos did not disclose, Casto was reinstated mere hours before tip-off. The powerful junior is a critical component to the Cougars’ post offense, and was a defensive problem for Northwestern during the entire game.
What to Improve on | Winning
Not to cite a term of endearment for the public, now abused by a certain pathological celebrity, but Northwestern will have to focus more on their ability to consistently win. Two straight victories in the NIT gave hope that Northwestern could run the table in the postseason, and while this final contest only contributes to that idea, the late maturation of this team will keep fans haunted over what could have happened had a few close games gone the other way. Injuries, like those of Shurna and freshman Jershon Cobb, and critical lapses in concentration, such as Crawford’s inability to defend the opposing Thompson, plagued the team all year, and in many ways never ceased dogging the ‘Cats.
But a team that returns everyone of significance except Thompson and fellow seniors Mike Capocci and Ivan Peljusic will hopefully be better for the experience. Marcotullio has demonstrated the aptitude to fill part of Juice’s shoes and another offseason will leave the returners one year stronger, healthy and fit for the challenge. But besides the look ahead, Northwestern should savor this recent success; One year removed from NU’s first-ever 20-win campaign, a star-crossed team saw another remarkable season of 20 wins and a remarkable career in Michael “Juice” Thompson come to a premature, yet unforgettable end.