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A heartbroken Chris Collins says Northwestern's Brooks Barnhizer will miss rest of the year
Chris Collins couldn't hold back his emotion as he announced Northwestern star Brooks Barnhizer will miss the rest of the year after suffering a foot injury.
EVANSTON, Ill. - Nick Martinelli scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and his basket with 2.6 seconds left helped Northwestern hold off USC 77-75 on Tuesday night.
How Northwestern won
Northwestern led 33-31 and stretched the margin to 15 points, 59-44, over the first 10 minutes of the second half before USC fought its way back but never took the lead.
Slajchert converted a four-point play on a straight-away 3-pointer and a free throw with 29 seconds left to tie it at 75-all. With 1:54 left and USC trailing 72-67, Slajchert also drew a foul on Blake Smith from beyond the arc and made 1 of 3 from the line.
Martinelli split a double team near the baseline and softly laid it in to give Northwestern (13-10, 4-8 Big Ten) the lead in the closing seconds. Out of a timeout, USC put the ball in the hands of Clark Slajchert who took a few dribbles before a Wildcats defender knocked it out of bounds and time expired.
Who starred
Martinelli recorded a career-high 10 offensive rebounds and reserve Justin Mullins scored 14 points for Northwestern.
Slajchert scored 24 points, shooting 9 for 11, Wesley Yates III scored 15 points and Chibuzo Agbo 14 for USC (13-9, 5-6).
What it means for Northwestern
In the post-Brooks Barnhizer era, Northwestern needed Martinelli to keep starring and for someone to step up.
Martinelli turned in a stellar game that manifested in a double-double with a game-winning bucket. Mullins, who showed spurts of a shooting touch and defensive prowess, put it all together against USC for a complete performance.
What's next
USC plays at No. 7 Purdue on Friday. Northwestern plays at Washington on Saturday.