Freshman Drew Crawford carried the 'Cats to their first Big Ten victory of the season
Photo: Derek Tam
Sunday’s win over Michigan was not typical Northwestern.
In fact, it was so far from what we have been trained to expect from NU, it could make optimists think this year is really meant to be.
Coming off two Big Ten losses to Illinois (a heartbreaker) and Michigan State (a blowout), not to mention an incredibly lackluster win over Texas Pan-American (who was 1-15 heading into the contest and their nickname is the ‘Broncs,’ [not the Broncos, but the Broncs—let that simmer]), most did not expect a road victory against Michigan.
The Wolverines, on the other hand, were coming off two huge wins over Ohio State and Penn State, and their stars (Manny Harris and DeShawne Sims) generally have no problem with Northwestern’s defense. The ‘Cats have never fared well in Ann Arbor, losing handily last season, despite the game being right after their program-changing upset win in East Lansing over the Spartans.
And when Northwestern was down 31-14 in the first half, all signs pointed to an 0-3 start to an NU team that was riding high just two weeks ago (and a waste of a pretty long drive by myself to Ann Arbor).
Well, Drew Crawford (whose father, the NBA ref Danny Crawford, was in attendance) made sure I wouldn’t leave Crisler Arena empty-handed. The freshman ended the half scoring 11 points in a row, cutting the lead to nine at the break.
In the second half the ‘Cats came alive. John Shurna, the star who was shut down most of the game, hit two clutch threes. Juice Thompson finally woke up and nailed a few big threes and a nifty reverse lay-up. Even much-maligned Luka Mirkovic played like a man under the basket, collecting eight rebounds. They built a ten-point lead when suddenly, Michigan got its groove back led by Harris.
The Wolverines chipped away at the lead in a hurry and took a 62-61 lead with just over a minute to go. Then something weird happened.
See, when you think of Northwestern basketball, you think of this, and this. Not this.
For the second time this season (the first being a Winter Break win vs. Stanford) the ‘Cats actually maintained a lead, hit free throws, withstood a run, and sealed the deal. Crawford sank four free throws in a row (he finished with 25 points and eight rebounds). Harris turned the ball over with Michigan down three and Nash and Thompson’s free throws concluded the 68-62 road victory, the first conference win of the season for the ‘Cats.
After the Stanford win, you could tell this was a different team. Even without Kevin Coble and Jeff Ryan, this team can finish off opponents. Down 31-14 in Michigan, it looked like all tournament hopes had evaporated. Now, the ‘Cats are riding high with some confidence heading into a huge stretch. They host #14 Wisconsin Wednesday night, #6 Purdue on Saturday afternoon, travel to Ohio State next Tuesday and host Illinois the following Saturday. Getting two wins out of those four would be great.
By the way, it’s free for students to get in. The next three home games are sellouts, but that doesn’t include students. Welsh-Ryan Arena provides an incredible college basketball experience, and NU will need everything they can get to pull off some big upsets.
The ‘Cats comeback victory in Ann Arbor told us that upset wins can happen this season, and that elusive ticket to the Big Dance might just be forthcoming.
Great article. I felt like I was there! I’ll be listening to WNUR on Saturday.