Martinelli’s late free throws lift Northwestern past DePaul 81-79

CHICAGO (AP) — Nick Martinelli scored 24 points and extended his double-figures streak to 30 straight games and Northwestern edged DePaul 81-79 on Thursday night.

Martinelli went 8 of 11 from the field and added seven free throws, and Arrinten Page dominated inside with 22 points on 10-of-11 shooting for the Wildcats (4-0). Jayden Reid finished with 17 points and hit four free throws in the final 11 minutes as Northwestern rallied after trailing by six in the second half.

Down 57-56 with 11:55 left, Northwestern steadied behind its stars. Page tied the game with a layup, then added another bucket on the next trip. Tre Singleton buried a 3-pointer on the next attempt for a 68-64 lead; Northwestern’s largest of the night.

DePaul (2-2) kept answering, though, as Kruz McClure scored 11 of his 15 points after halftime, including a pair of free throws for a 74-73 edge with 5:02 left. Fabian Flores’ tip-in pushed the Blue Demons ahead 76-73 with 3:56 remaining.

Northwestern closed the game with Singleton scoring twice at the rim and Reid converting in traffic for a 79-76 lead with 1:36 to play. McClure tied it at 79, and Martinelli delivered the final blow. He grabbed Reid’s missed jumper with 3 seconds left, drew a foul and knocked down both free throws.

Layden Blocker’s contested 3 at the horn missed, sealing Northwestern’s road win.

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