By IlliniGuys Staff

December 6, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena continues to be a house of horrors for the Illinois basketball team.

Down ten points halfway through the second half, the Wildcats rallied to tie the game and then pull off the upset in overtime, 70-66.

Nick Martinelli scored 23 of his game-high 27 points after halftime while Brooks Barnhizer hit just 7-of-23 shots from the field but managed 17 points, including the game-tying jumper in the paint with 41 seconds left that completed Northwestern's comeback and sent the game to overtime.

It was 19th ranked Illinois' first true road game of the season and the almost all-new roster quickly learned of the Big Ten's physicality as the Wildcats slowed the game and held the Illini to a season-low tying 66 points.

Northwestern (7-3, 1-1 in Big Ten conference) shut down the Illinois offense that entered the night averaging 89 points per game, allowing them just seven field goals and only 24 points in the final 17 minutes of the game, including overtime. Five of those baskets were three-pointers by star freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who scored all but two of his team-high 20 points after halftime. The Lithuanian import added 10 rebounds and seven assists as he tried to single-handedly will Illinois to victory in a building where they have lost three straight.

Jakucionis finished 6-of-10 from outside the arc, but his teammates otherwise managed just 3-of-24 from long-distance, including a 1-for-9 effort from Ben Humrichous.

Tomislav Ivisic finished with a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Will Riley scored a team-best 11 points in the first half, including seven in a row in one stretch, but was held scoreless from the field in the second half and the extra period to end up with 12 points.

Illinois (6-2, 0-1 in Big Ten) assisted on 10 of 11 field goals in the first half as it built a 27-24 halftime lead and finished with 19 assists on 25 baskets for the game.

The Illini return home to face 11th ranked Wisconsin, one of college basketball's bigger surprises in the first month of the season, Tuesday night at State Farm Center (8pm, Peacock).

Stay with IlliniGuys.com for complete postgame coverage.