Northwestern blows out Cleveland State, 110-63
EVANSTON – Northwestern put on an offensive showcase with a 110-63 win over Cleveland State on Monday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena, scoring their most points since they put up 111 on Chicago State in 2020.
Nick Martinelli led the way with 21 points, shooting 9-for-14 on field goals and 3-for-3 on 3-pointers. No free throws, all buckets. He was one of five Northwestern players to score 15+ points in this one, joining center Arrinten Page (17), guards Justin Mullins (16) and Max Green (16), and forward Tre Singleton (15).
Point guard Jayden Reid went 1-for-7 from the floor but still orchestrated the offense with eight assists.
Head coach Chris Collins knows it’s early in the season, and he’s notorious for getting on his players no matter the time or score, but he still reveled in the big win after the game.
“I loved how we were playing,” he said. “You just want to continue to teach throughout the game. I got real angry at the end of the first half. We had the ability to hold for the last shot and even though Justin was open, he shot it.
“In closer games, you know you have to wait for the last shot. So, we’re still building habits… But to see our guys play that hard, with that kind of spirit, the unselfishness of 26 assists, just seven turnovers, I’m really proud of the group.”
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The Page that was promised, and more
After sinking a 3 from the top of the key late in the first half, Page raised his arms to the sky, evoking Russell Crowe from Gladiator, asking Welsh-Ryan Arena, “Are you not entertained?”
The fans that trudged through the freshly fallen snow certainly were entertained. But even more impressive than the 3-pointer, or a series of slams, was Page laying his 6-foot-11 body on the line to dive for a loose ball and get Angelo Ciaravino an easy bucket.
He dived on the floor again in the second half. Even if that ball popped loose and was recovered by Cleveland State, it showed Page’s buy-in to this team, and that’s just as exciting as his 12.5 points per game average through the first three games.
“I thought Arrinten’s energy and motor to start the game was huge,” Collins said. “I thought his two loose balls he dove for were two of the biggest plays, because it set the tone… I’m just really proud of how hard he’s playing.”
Max Green showed off his shooting skills
Green, a Holy Cross transfer, came off the bench for the first time with 9:23 left in the game. He scored 16 points, including four straight from beyond the arc, and two that were well beyond even NBA range.
“I loved it. He’s wired like I am, that’s why I like him so much…” Collins said. “You see some of the swagger. It’s probably the first time he’s had a coach tell him to shoot more.”
Of the three transfers, Green is the only one not starting. He’s been in a bench depth role to start the season as he acclimates to Northwestern’s system.
“For Max to not play the first half, after not playing very well in the last game, he was still ready,” Collins said. “And not just ready, but with a great attitude, talking on the bench. He was enthusiastic.”
Green was advertised as an elite shooter and he let the world know why this evening. Once he hit the first two 3s, you could feel the gleam in his eyes from the stands as he crossed half court, thrilled for the chance to take a heat check.
He also showcased his size and speed on two breakaway dunks. Collins has talked at length about the glut of talent he feels he has on the perimeter this season, so Green’s minutes are far from guaranteed to jump. But after a slow start through the exhibitions and the first two regular season games, he showcased how he can contribute.
Singleton showed up to the party
If something isn’t working, try turning it off and then on again. Maybe try it three times. That’s how Northwestern got its four-star freshman Singleton to click. After coming in and out of the game thrice due to foul trouble, he stayed the course and suddenly started piling up the points.
“He rattled two free throws out in the first; it was almost like he was snake-bitten,” Collins said. “He got a couple tough fouls, the game was going against him. And I just said to stay aggressive, stay forceful.
“He’s a big, strong guy. He’s skilled, he can pass. The more he plays and settles down, I think we’re going to continue to see what kind of impact he can make on the game.”
Singleton finished with 15 points on 4-for-5 shooting. Eleven of them came in the second half, after his third foul. He bulled his way in the paint, using his size to get good shots and get to the line, where he was 6-for-8 despite an 0-for-3 mark in the previous two games.
It’s the kind of performance that Northwestern would like to expect from him, so it was good to see him settle in after just four points in each of the first two games.
The depth could be for real
Think about this: Martinelli played just 23 minutes and Northwestern scored 110 points. Collins has talked about the difficulty of finding the right group out of 11 players this season, and this game gave credence to that struggle. Eleven players played 9+ minutes; all 13 healthy and non-redshirting players got into the game, and 11 players scored.
Some of this will fall away and need to be cut down as the team faces Power Five and especially Big Ten opponents. But it was a really promising sign that Northwestern can go so deep. They went to Martinelli selectively, rather than depending on him to be the catalyst for all 40 minutes.
The only odd aspect of the box score was KJ Windham, the often explosive sixth man who didn’t score in his 14 minutes. Still, with Green going supernova for 16 points, that’s a testament to Collins’ talking points that the supporting scoring, and the according minutes, could come from anywhere.
It was just two games ago against Mercyhurst when Windham had 11, and Green had just three. So as long as Northwestern’s players can maintain their buy-in on off nights, when they don’t get shots or minutes, they could have a bench arsenal to be reckoned with.
