Feb. 16--Happy new year, Northwestern.
The Wildcats snapped a 10-game losing streak by outlasting Iowa 66-61 in overtime Sunday at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Afterward, they celebrated in the locker room as if it meant a championship.
Northwestern (11-14, 2-10 Big Ten) won its first game since Dec. 30 at Rutgers.
Chris Collins, who repeatedly told his team during timeouts that they were going to win Sunday, says the final phase in a rebuilding process is winning. The first phase is changing the culture in his Northwestern program.
The culture seems to be improving, and at long last his young players were rewarded with a victory.
"It's hard to win," Collins said. "I am a believer in the basketball gods. It has been a tough month for us. ... Everyone made a big play to help us win."
The Hawkeyes (15-10, 6-6) made them sweat, however. Jarrod Uthoff, who finished with a game-high 25 points, hit an improbable off-balance 3-point shot at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime tied 54-54.
"I was on the bench and I said, 'Man, you've got to be kidding me? Can we get a break?,'" NU center Alex Olah said of Uthoff's incredible shot.
Tre Demps added: "It was like a knife into my heart."
Clutch free throws in the final minutes of overtime lifted the home team. Guard Bryant McIntosh finished with a team-high 18 points, followed by Demps with 16 and Olah with 11. Olah also had 13 rebounds, blocked five shots and a steal.
"Our guys just hung with it," Collins said of his team's overtime performance.
The Wildcats came out with great energy to start the game and took a 21-11 lead on a 3-pointer by Demps before Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery called a timeout.
"I thought we had juice today," said Collins, who was disappointed with his team's effort in Tuesday night's loss to Michigan State.
The Hawkeyes proceeded to tie the game 24-24 on a 3-point shot by Anthony Clemmons. But Demps answered with a 3-pointer to give Northwestern a 27-24 lead at the intermission.
"We didn't establish anything at the rim. We didn't finish at the rim," McCaffery said.
Demps said it was hard to describe the emotion he and his teammates felt.
"All the guys kind of came together and said we are going to continue to fight," Demps said. "It's such a huge win."
fmitchell@tribpub.com
Wildcats yet to win in 2015
