EVANSTON, Ill. — The USC men’s basketball team is getting a crash course in the ups and downs of life in the Big Ten Conference, going from the high of a Top-10 upset to the low of a heartbreaking defeat in a matter of days.
Nick Martinelli scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and his basket with 2.6 seconds left helped Northwestern hold off short-handed USC, 77-75, on Tuesday night.
Martinelli split a double-team near the baseline and softly laid it in to give Northwestern (13-10 overall, 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.
Slajchert converted a four-point play on a 3-pointer from the top of the arc and a free throw with 29 seconds left to tie the score at 75-all. With 1:54 left and USC trailing 72-67, Slajchert also drew a foul on Blake Smith from behind the arc but went 1 for 3 from the line.
Northwestern led 33-31 and stretched the margin to 15 points at 59-44 over the first 10 minutes of the second half before USC fought its way back but never took the lead.
Martinelli recorded a career-high 10 offensive rebounds and reserve Justin Mullins scored 14 points for Northwestern.
Slajchert scored 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting to pace USC (13-9, 5-6), which was without Desmond Claude, who leads the team in scoring (16.2 points per game) and assists (4.2). Claude, who suffered a bone bruise in his leg but continued to play in USC’s 70-64 home win against then-No. 7 Michigan State on Saturday, had been listed as questionable before the game.
Wesley Yates III scored 15 points for the Trojans and Chibuzo Agbo added 14.
Northwestern, which snapped a three-game losing streak, is adjusting to being without senior Brooks Barnhizer, who was averaging 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists before a foot injury brough an end to his Wildcats career.
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USC plays at No. 7 Purdue on Friday at 4 p.m. PT.
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