Martinelli's buzzer-beater sinks Oregon, lifts Northwestern to third win in a row: 'We're playing our best'
Kendall Gill breaks down what went wrong in Illinois' 84-70 loss to No. 3 Michigan
Illinois hosted No. 3 Michigan and got outclassed. Kendall Gill joined the program to break down what went wrong in Champaign.
EVANSTON, Ill. - Nick Martinelli scored 22 points, including the game-winner with 1.8 seconds left, for Northwestern in a 63-62 win over Oregon on Saturday afternoon.
Northwestern called a timeout with eight seconds left, down 62-61. Martinelli caught the ball and was well defended. He pivoted to the left, hooked the shot around the defender and watched the ball swirl around the rim before finally sinking.
"It really sat on the rim for a while. It might have helped us, they didn't have time," Martinelli said. "I'm still processing it."
Takai Simpkins's half-court heave for the Ducks hit the top of the backboard to end it.
"We're playing our best basketball right now, which is fun," NU head coach Chris Collins said after the game.
Martinelli added 11 rebounds and seven assists, a career high, for the Wildcats (13-16, 5-13 Big Ten). Jayden Reid scored 11 points.
Nate Bittle scored 19 for Oregon (11-18, 4-14). Kwame Evans Jr. added 15 and Simpkins finished with 11. The Ducks led 36-29 at halftime, built on a 15-3 run to close out the first half.
Oregon continued to dominate, taking an early lead after the break from a jumper and 3-pointer from Bittle. Northwestern took the lead back off a 15-6 run with 10:56 to play.
The win is the third straight for Northwestern.
EVANSTON, IL - JANUARY 14: Northwestern Wildcats forward Nick Martinelli (2) is introduced prior to a college basketball game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Northwestern Wildcats on January 14, 2026, at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, IL.
What they're saying:
"It was a gut check. There was one or two things we talked about schematically," Collins said about the game at halftime. "But after that, it was just gut check. I literally told the team, if you want this game, you can go get it."
"A great win for our team, really happy for our players, the staff. I thought we really dug down," Collins said. "I said the game is on us in the second half. If we want to find a way to get this one done, we'll do it."
What's next:
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Oregon: Visits No. 10 Illinois on Tuesday.
Northwestern: Hosts No. 8 Purdue on Wednesday.