Northwestern's Nick Martinelli leads team to Big Ten Tournament win over Penn State

Two-time Big Ten scoring leader has 24 points, 9 rebounds in first-round victory

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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Northwestern senior Nick Martinelli, the two-time Big Ten scoring leader, had 24 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals to lead the 15th-seeded Wildcats to a 76-66 win over 18th-seeded Penn State in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Martinelli and his young supporting cast, including three key freshmen, overcame a slow start to pull away in the second half and advance to face 10th-seeded Indiana in the next round.

Why it matters

Martinelli is nearing the end of his record-setting career at Northwestern, and the Wildcats are looking to extend their season and give the senior one more chance at a Big Ten Tournament title. Despite being a lower seed, Northwestern has already proven it can upset higher-ranked opponents, giving them hope of making a deep run in the tournament.

The details

Martinelli, the leader of a young Northwestern squad, stepped up with a dominant performance, scoring 24 points and adding 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. The Wildcats trailed by just 2 at halftime but pulled away in the second half, going on an 8-0 run capped by a Martinelli steal and dunk to take a 68-55 lead. Northwestern's defense forced 10 second-half turnovers, leading to 24 points off turnovers for the game.

  • The game was played on Tuesday, March 11, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago.
  • Northwestern will face 10th-seeded Indiana in the second round on Wednesday, March 12, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.

The players

Nick Martinelli

A senior at Northwestern and two-time Big Ten scoring leader, Martinelli had 24 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in the win over Penn State.

Jayden Reid

A junior guard for Northwestern, Reid had 14 points and 9 assists to help the Wildcats advance.

Tyler Kropp

A freshman forward for Northwestern, Kropp had 6 points and 6 rebounds in the victory.

Tre Singleton

A freshman forward for Northwestern, Singleton had 9 points in the win.

Jake West

A freshman guard for Northwestern, West had 8 points and 5 assists in the game.

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What they’re saying

“That senior urgency really hit different today.”

— Nick Martinelli, Senior, Northwestern (chicagotribune.com)

“We've got nothing to lose, so we're just playing our hearts out. We know we're a high-level team, so we're just trying to prove that and keep winning and having a good time.”

— Tyler Kropp, Freshman, Northwestern (chicagotribune.com)

What’s next

The winner of the Northwestern-Indiana second-round matchup will advance to face the winner of the Michigan-Ohio State game in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

The takeaway

Despite being a lower seed, Northwestern's experienced senior leader Nick Martinelli and its talented young supporting cast have shown they can compete with and upset higher-ranked opponents in the Big Ten Tournament, giving the Wildcats hope of making a deep postseason run and extending Martinelli's college career.