Saturday’s 81-74 victory over No. 6 Michigan State was a landmark moment for Northwestern basketball. The Wildcats came out with a signature win over a highly-ranked opponent, one that could be the difference between making the NCAA tournament and continuing the most pathetic streak in college basketball. The game on Saturday featured strong performances from the ‘Cats two stars, a fantastic defensive performance from a former walk-on and the best game from a center this year.
Northwestern was surprisingly led by Davide Curletti, who turned in the game of his life against the Spartans. The senior center got the start after Luka Mirkovic’s atrocious performance earlier in the week against Michigan and made the most of the opportunity. Curletti had previously filled the offensive role of Northwestern’s center production, with Luka Mirkovic providing the defense, but now it appears that Curlette may have earned himself a full-time job. Curletti was a beast on the boards, grabbing three offensive rebounds and six total, shoring up the weakest aspect of NU’s game. He also anchored the Wildcats’ defense, protecting the rim and preventing the easy buckets that have plagued the ‘Cats all year. To top that off, Curletti turned in an extremely efficient offensive performance, shooting 5-7 from the field including a three-pointer for a total of 17 points. He even added four assists to round out easily the best game from a Northwestern center all season.
While Curletti was clearly the player of the game, honorable mention goes to junior Reggie Hearn, who was flying around the court defensively and keyed the Wildcats’ excellent defensive effort. He also added 10 points on 5-6 shooting and showed that he can create his own shots, a fairly rare skill on this team.
The numbers:
3 – The number of fouls that Dave Sobolewski, Drew Crawford, Reggie Hearn and Davide Curletti each had with 14 minutes to go in the second half. None fouled out, and all four played key roles down the stretch. Sobolewski played all 40 minutes despite his foul trouble and handled the ball well in the face of Michigan State’s press at the end of the game.
47.1% – The percentage Northwestern shot from three-point range. Drew Crawford shot 3-5 and made several contested shots from deep. Junior Alex Marcotullio hit back-to-back threes to give Northwestern the lead late in the second half, and senior John Shurna went 2-6 from range, including one make at the buzzer from about seven feet behind the line.
42 – The number of points Shurna and Crawford combined for to lead the Wildcats. It’s odd that two of the Big Ten’s three leading scorers could quietly top 20 points each, but thanks to Curletti’s breakout performance, that’s exactly what happened. In the second half, Shurna picked up the scoring burden and iced the game from the free-throw line, finishing 10-11 at the stripe. Even when he wasn’t scoring, Shurna made plays for his teammates and added five assists.
Sixth man of the game: the crowd
In typical Bill Carmody fashion, the Wildcats played their starters heavy minutes. In fact, Marcotullio, Luka Mirkovic and senior Nick Fruendt, the only reserves to get in the game, combined for only 26 minutes. However, the crowd at Welsh-Ryan Arena stepped up and took over sixth man duties. The stadium was packed to the rafters and students took advantage of a rare opportunity to storm the court after the final buzzer. The Northwestern crowd rose to the occasion and was loud all game, especially down the stretch, when Michigan State looked rattled and never really got back in the game.
Play of the game:
With 12:30 left in the second half, Curletti set a screen for Shurna and then quickly rolled towards the basket. Shurna found him with the pass and Curletti threw down a dunk that got the crowd screaming and nearly tore the roof off. That play increased Northwestern’s lead to 57-50, and it never dipped below five points for the remainder of the game.
Where does Northwestern stand?
With this win, Northwestern finally nailed down the elusive signature win it has been chasing for years. The win over Michigan State would look great on an NCAA tournament résumé. This team needs to avoid the losses to inferior teams that have plagued the ‘Cats throughout the Carmody era – hello, Penn State! – but if they can pull that off, this win could be the one that finally sneaks NU into the tournament.