- Matchup: Penn State Nittany Lions vs Northwestern Wildcats
- Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
- Venue: United Center, Chicago, IL
- Broadcast: Peacock
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On Tuesday, the Northwestern Wildcats (13-18) will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions (12-19) at the United Center during the Big Ten Tournament.
In their previous outing, the Penn State Nittany Lions faced off against Rutgers, suffering a defeat with a final score of 74-62. Penn State recorded a field goal percentage of 41.1% (23 of 56) and struggled with their three-point shooting, hitting just 3 out of 22 attempts. At the charity stripe, the Nittany Lions converted 13 of 22, resulting in a 59.1% success rate. In terms of rebounding, they secured 34 boards, with 5 being offensive. They also provided 11 assists, had 6 turnovers, and made 6 steals. On the defensive end, Penn State permitted their opponents to shoot 44.3%, where Rutgers achieved 27 out of 61 attempts. Rutgers dished out 16 assists and made 5 steals, along with grabbing 35 rebounds (6 offensive, 29 defensive) without registering any blocks. At the free throw line, Rutgers performed at 82.4%, hitting 14 of 17 attempts, and connected on 6 of 19 shots from beyond the arc. As for personal fouls, Penn State committed 16, while Rutgers received 17.
One standout player was Ivan Juric, who shot 50.0% from the field, recording 16 points with 1 assist across 29 minutes played, along with grabbing 6 rebounds.
Penn State enters this matchup with a 12-19 season record. They average 10.3 turnovers per game and commit 15.5 fouls. As a team, they are securing 29.2 rebounds per game and have tallied 388 assists this season, which places them 295th in Division 1 basketball. The Nittany Lions are shooting 32.1% from three-point range (214 of 667) and 74.9% from the free throw line. They average 73.9 points per game, ranking 235th in men’s college basketball, while shooting at a 46.7% clip from the field.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions are forcing 12.1 turnovers per game and draw an average of 16.9 fouls. They are ranked 350th in college hoops for allowing assists, with a total of 535 allowed this year. Penn State’s defense gives up a field goal percentage of 50.0% (893 of 1,787) and averages 33.3 rebounds per game. They allow a 39.1% shooting rate on three-point attempts and are positioned 318th in points allowed per game (79.5).
In their latest match, the Northwestern Wildcats narrowly lost to Minnesota, finishing 67-66. They secured 15 defensive rebounds and 11 offensive boards for a total of 26. With 7 turnovers and 3 steals in the game, Minnesota committed 11 fouls, leading to 14 free throw attempts for the Wildcats, who made 12 of those attempts for an 85.7% rate. Northwestern hit 8 of their 23 three-point attempts (34.8%) and shot 43.4% from the field overall, making 23 of 53 shots. Defensively, they allowed Minnesota to shoot at a 54.5% rate (24 of 44) and were out-rebounded, giving up 22 total boards (4 offensive).
Nick Martinelli played a crucial role for Northwestern, registering 23 points in his 39 minutes on the court, with 1 assist and 9 rebounds, making 9 of 18 shots for a 50.0% shooting percentage.
Northwestern stands at 13-18 this season. Offensively, they are shooting 45.7% from the field, ranking 158th nationally. The Wildcats have accumulated 2,269 points this year, averaging 73.2 points per game, and they pull down 30.9 rebounds per contest. They dish out 17.0 assists per game (33rd in college basketball) and have a low turnover rate at 8.6 per game. Northwestern averages 17.2 personal fouls per game and hits 75.1% of their free throw attempts.
Defensively, the Wildcats yield 33.1% on three-point shots (236 of 714) and allow opponents a free throw conversion rate of 74.1%. They surrender an average of 15.7 assists and 35.2 rebounds per game, ranking 322nd and 238th in college basketball. Northwestern’s defense is rated 131st nationally in points allowed per game, averaging 72.2, while they force 11.5 turnovers per game and let opponents shoot 43.9% from the field (160th in college basketball).
Who will secure victory in tonight’s NCAA game against the spread?
Prediction: Take Northwestern
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