Buie scores 29 as Northwestern beats No. 10 Illinois 96-91 in overtime
AP
Jan 25, 2024
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) Northwestern Wildcats and Illinois Fighting Illini kept trading baskets, refusing to let the other go on any real run. The Wildcats made a push in overtime, and that was enough to lift them to another win over a top-10 team.
Boo Buie scored 29 points, Brooks Barnhizer added 23 and Northwestern beat No. 10 Illinois 96-91 on Wednesday night.
The Wildcats (14-5, 5-3 Big Ten) scored the first nine points in overtime after Illinois’ Marcus Domask missed a jumper at the end of regulation. They got some payback, too, after the Fighting Illini (14-5, 5-3) beat them by 30 on Jan. 2 without star guard Terrance Shannon Jr.
“It’s super hard to win in this league in general, but especially on the road,” Buie said. “I think it just contributes to showing our toughness and our togetherness and how connected we are, to be able to go out there and come away with victories against top teams in the country.”
In a game that featured 18 lead changes and 15 ties, Northwestern finally took control in OT.
Buie put the Wildcats on top with a 3-pointer. Barnhizer hit one from the corner, got fouled by Quincy Guerrier and made the free throw to complete the four-point play.
Matthew Nicholson put back a missed layup by Buie following a steal, making it 85-76 with 2:35 left, and the Wildcats remained in control the rest of the way.
Northwestern knocked off a top-10 team for the second time this season to go with an overtime stunner against then-No. 1 Purdue at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Dec. 1. This one came on the heels of a loss at Nebraska on Saturday.
Coleman Hawkins had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Illinois. Domask scored 22. Guerrier added 15 points and 11 rebounds, but Shannon had a rough time in his second game since a federal judge ordered Illinois last week to lift the suspension it handed down in the wake of a rape charge in Kansas.
Shannon heard it from Northwestern fans, who chanted “No means no!” throughout the game. He finished with 12 points while shooting just 1 of 5 on 3-pointers.
Illinois coach Brad Underwood said Shannon simply needs time to find his rhythm after missing six games. As for the chants? Underwood brushed them aside as “life on the road.”
“We're playing basketball,” he said. “We've been in a lot of environments in this league. I had chicken wings thrown at me last year at Maryland. That stuff's insignificant to anything that would have anything to do with the outcome of a basketball game. We had a chance to win the basketball game today. Chants or no chants, we had a chance to win."
Buie finished two points shy of his season high and had seven assists.
Barnhizer, who scored a career-best 24 in the loss at Nebraska, made four 3-pointers.
Ty Berry scored 14 and hit three 3s, helping the Wildcats win for the third time in four games. Northwestern also improved to 10-1 at home.
BIG PICTURE
Illinois: Outrebounded the Wildcats 46-32 but had just 19 second-chance points to show for 21 offensive rebounds.
Northwestern: The Wildcats continue to give opponents fits on their home court. The fact that they had their touch from outside, making 11 of 18 3-pointers, certainly helped.
UP NEXT
Illinois: The Illini look to improve to 11-2 at home when they meet Indiana on Saturday.
Northwestern: The Wildcats host Ohio State on Saturday.
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1st Half
ILL
Fighting Illini
32
NW
Wildcats
34
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Quincy Guerrier vs. Matthew Nicholson (Wildcats gains possession)
19:46
Boo Buie misses two point jump shot
19:44
Quincy Guerrier defensive rebound
19:26
Terrence Shannon Jr. misses three point jump shot
19:24
Boo Buie defensive rebound
19:07
+2
Matthew Nicholson makes two point dunk (Boo Buie assists)
0-2
18:51
Ty Rodgers misses two point jump shot
18:49
Matthew Nicholson defensive rebound
18:33
Ryan Langborg misses two point jump shot
18:31
Coleman Hawkins defensive rebound
18:16
Marcus Domask misses two point jump shot
18:14
Ryan Langborg defensive rebound
17:49
Boo Buie misses two point jump shot
17:47
Quincy Guerrier defensive rebound
17:42
Terrence Shannon Jr. turnover (bad pass) (Boo Buie steals)
17:31
Brooks Barnhizer misses two point jump shot
17:29
Ty Rodgers defensive rebound
17:24
+2
Coleman Hawkins makes two point driving layup (Ty Rodgers assists)
2-2
17:05
Brooks Barnhizer misses three point jump shot
17:03
Marcus Domask defensive rebound
16:57
Boo Buie personal foul (Terrence Shannon Jr. draws the foul)
16:55
Marcus Domask misses two point layup
16:53
Ty Rodgers offensive rebound
16:44
+2
Terrence Shannon Jr. makes two point layup (Marcus Domask assists)
4-2
16:34
+2
Boo Buie makes two point jump shot
4-4
16:14
+2
Ty Rodgers makes two point layup (Marcus Domask assists)
6-4
16:11
Matthew Nicholson shooting foul (Ty Rodgers draws the foul)
16:11
Ty Rodgers misses regular free throw 1 of 1
16:11
Matthew Nicholson defensive rebound
15:48
+2
Boo Buie makes two point layup
6-6
15:35
Marcus Domask misses two point jump shot
15:33
Ty Rodgers offensive rebound
15:27
Coleman Hawkins misses two point layup
15:25
Ty Rodgers offensive rebound
15:19
Terrence Shannon Jr. misses three point jump shot
15:17
Coleman Hawkins offensive rebound
15:17
Jump ball. (Fighting Illini gains possession)
15:17
TV timeout
15:08
+2
Marcus Domask makes two point jump shot (Luke Goode assists)
8-6
14:43
+2
Matthew Nicholson makes two point dunk (Boo Buie assists)
8-8
14:19
Quincy Guerrier misses three point jump shot
14:17
Fighting Illini offensive rebound
14:01
Justin Harmon misses two point jump shot
13:59
Justin Harmon offensive rebound
13:59
Ty Berry shooting foul (Justin Harmon draws the foul)
13:59
Justin Harmon misses regular free throw 1 of 2
13:59
+1
Justin Harmon makes regular free throw 2 of 2
9-8
13:46
+2
Blake Preston makes two point jump shot
9-10
13:33
Coleman Hawkins offensive foul (Ty Berry draws the foul)
13:33
Coleman Hawkins turnover (offensive foul)
13:20
+2
Ryan Langborg makes two point jump shot (Blake Preston assists)