NOT YET, SAYS NU
WITH BIG HELP FROM TEAMMATES, BUIE BREAKS THE ICE IN SECOND HALF TO SET UP OT WIN AND DATE WITH UCONN
NEW YORK — Boo Buie was stumped.
For the first 20 minutes of Northwestern’s first-round NCAA Tournament matchup against Florida Atlantic on Friday, the Wildcats’ leading scorer tried relentlessly to find a crack in the Owls’ defensive schemes. But nothing. Buie was kept largely ineffective thanks to mixed-bag screen coverage and a concerted effort to keep the ball out of his hands.
That is, until the second half, when he drained a three-pointer from the right wing less than 30 seconds in. With that first field goal out of intermission, Buie was sending the message he wouldn’t let his college career end here.
The senior guard’s 22 points (15 in the second half, four more in overtime) helped make it a certainty as NU advanced to the round of 32 for a second straight year with a 77-65 victory.
“The halftime message was, ‘Stay confident. That 20 minutes is over. Forget about it,’ ” Buie said.
Forget about it they did. After shooting a dismal 7-for-33 (21%) in the first half, the No. 9-seeded Wildcats shot 54.8% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range in the second half, with Buie leading the way as he went 6-for-13. At one point, after driving to the rim and scoring through contact, he raised his arms and flexed. It was no doubt another message — not just for No. 8-seeded Florida Atlantic, but for his teammates. Twice during the regular season, Buie led the Wildcats to overtime wins against tougher opponents than the Owls: top-ranked Purdue on Dec. 1 and 10th-ranked Illinois on Jan. 24.
“It’s our job as leaders to make sure that going into that overtime period, we’re telling each other this is our game,” Buie said. “We are just telling each other we are built for these moments.”
Down by four points with less than four minutes left in regulation, FAU forced overtime thanks to a late run after NU sophomore forward Nick Martinelli was called for a flagrant foul. Owls 7-footer Vladislav Goldin got two free throws and the ball back. On the next play, he was fouled again and again made both free throws, tying the game at 56. Junior guard Johnell Davis eventually put FAU up by two with a floater in the paint with a minute left.
In need of an answer, the Wildcats ran a play for Buie, but it was junior guard Brooks Barnhizer who came through. With the ball in his hands, he looked to his left to see Buie covered. Instead of forcing the ball to him, he shot-faked and drove hard to his left and to the rim before laying it in to make it 58-58.
Graduate transfer Ryan Langborg took over from there, pouring in 12 points in OT to finish with a game-high 27. The Wildcats outscored the Owls 19-7 in the extra period.
“We were just having fun,” Langborg said. “I usually don’t celebrate a lot when I make shots, but I know I had my tongue out.”
While Buie’s performance in the second half got NU to overtime and Langborg’s surge sealed the win, Barnhizer’s defense in the first half kept the Wildcats alive. He only had seven points in the first 20 minutes but came up with four crucial rebounds and numerous deflections. He also played a critical role in holding Goldin, whose 67% field-goal percentage ranked third in the nation, to just three points in the first half.
“That’s been Brooks all year,” Buie said of Barnhizer, who finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. “Everything he does isn’t seen. But that guy — his voice, his toughness, his leadership and resiliency every day — is what makes this team go.”
Entering the game, NU coach Chris Collins talked at length about wanting to send Buie out right. Buie’s desire to leave a lasting impact on the program is no secret. Last year, he helped lead the Wildcats to their second NCAA Tournament win. This year, after becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer, he got them back to the dance.
So far, so good. Friday’s win was a celebratory moment, if not a historic one. That would come Sunday if the Wildcats can defeat their next opponent: No. 1-seeded Connecticut, the defending tournament champion, which throttled No.-16 seeded Stetson 91-52 in the first round Friday.
Collins said he wanted to enjoy Friday’s win before he started discussing the “juggernaut” the Huskies are. But Buie was already thinking about what it would mean.
“It would be unbelievable,” he said. ✶