After Oregon men’s basketball and Northwestern matched runs with runs and slumps with slumps to set up a close finish that once looked out of reach for each team, it’s only fitting that both teams made a shot in the final minute. In the end, Big Ten scoring leader Nick Martinelli’s last-second layup bounced several times on the rim before falling in to give the Wildcats the win, and erase Oregon’s late-season momentum from back-to-back wins over tournament teams.

Both Oregon (11-18, 4-14 Big Ten) and Northwestern (13-16, 5-13 Big Ten) came into the matchup on two-game win streaks despite sitting one spot apart in the basement of the Big Ten. Both teams struggled from the field early, as Martinelli kept the Wildcats’ offense alive from the free-throw line, and Nate Bittle capitalized on early offensive rebounds to score in the paint.

Kwame Evans put the Ducks ahead 11-8 with a 3-pointer five minutes in, and Northwestern soon made substitutions in an effort to wake up its offense, which was 2-9 from the field.

The Wildcats held a small lead over the Ducks throughout the middle of the half, scoring by committee as Martinelli’s struggles from the field continued. The Wildcats’ lead peaked at 24-18 with eight minutes left, thanks to fouls by Sean Stewart and Wei Lin on consecutive possessions.

Oregon’s shooting slump ballooned to six straight misses, but Drew Carter ended it with a desperately-needed 3-pointer. The Ducks parlayed the walk-on’s timely make into a 10-2 run, capped off by a deep make from Jamari Phillips to take a 31-26 lead.

The Wildcats finally found an answer on the defensive end, holding Oregon off the scoreboard for over a minute, but failing to push back. A Takai Simpkins dunk and deep 3-pointer by Nate Bittle gave Oregon a 36-29 halftime lead and a ton of momentum.

Martinelli finished the first half 1-8 from the field, but the Wildcats’ supporting cast, especially guard Jayden Reid, made the most of the eight points he gathered, mostly at the free-throw line, and kept the game within reach.

The Wildcats looked like a different team coming out of halftime, making their first six field goal attempts, with only one coming from Martinelli. Evans helped the Ducks push back at first by making a midrange jumper and a 3-pointer, but Oregon’s offensive momentum from the end of the first half soon ran out.

Northwestern retook the lead at 46-45 with a 13-2 run, and the Ducks’ earlier ability to stop Martinelli disappeared, as the senior made five straight midrange attempts during and soon after the run. 

Takai Simpkins briefly put the Ducks back in the lead at 49-48 with a 3-pointer to withstand the Wildcats’ surge. As both teams regressed to the mean offensively, with the Wildcats occasionally missing a shot and Bittle and Lin keeping Oregon alive with midrange makes, the back-and-forth play from the first half improbably resumed.

Evans made a layup and a free throw to put Oregon back in the lead 56-55 with 6:41 to play. The junior forward continued to help the Ducks on the defensive end as the teams traded ugly possessions, briefly sending Northwestern starter Tre Singleton to the bench by drawing his third foul, and blocking a shot.

After setting up a close finish, Oregon’s offense went over three minutes without a point, and lost starting forward Sean Stewart to foul trouble in the process. Northwestern squandered the opportunity to put the Ducks away, with Martinelli and Jayden Reid’s midrange makes only leaving the Wildcats 2-5 and up 61-59 as Oregon missed five straight.

With 55 seconds to play, Wei Lin looked to be the Ducks’ hero, finding himself wide open in the corner and draining a pass from Bittle to give Oregon a one-point lead. The Ducks withstood Martinelli’s first attempt at a game-winner with 18 seconds left, but Singleton grabbed the rebound. 

Martinelli found open space to receive the inbound pass with eight seconds remaining and stepped toward the baseline away from Evans for a clean look at the tough game-winning layup.

Oregon remains on the road for a midweek matchup against Illinois on March 3.