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Nick Martinelli scored 28 points to help No. 13 seed Northwestern beat No. 12 seed Minnesota 72-64 on Wednesday to begin the Big Ten Tournament.

Northwestern (17-15) earned its first conference tournament win since 2022 for a chance to play No. 5 Wisconsin in Thursday's second round. The Wildcats lost to then-No. 17 Wisconsin 75-69 on Feb. 1.

Five Northwestern players scored during a 12-3 run to begin the second half to go ahead by double digits, 44-32, for the first time in the game. The Wildcats stayed ahead by at least nine points until Mike Mitchell Jr. scored five straight points to get Minnesota within 67-60 with 45 seconds remaining.

Martinelli and Matthew Nicholson each went 1 of 2 at the stripe down the stretch, and K.J. Windham went 3 of 4 to keep Northwestern ahead by multiple possessions.

Ty Berry added 14 points, Jordan Clayton had 11 and Windham finished with 10 for Northwestern. Martinelli, averaging a league-high 20.2 points per game, was 12 of 22 from the field. Martinelli was just 4 of 10 at the free-throw line as the Wildcats finished 12 of 22.

Dawson Garcia led Minnesota (15-17) with 22 points and Mitchell added 11 points. The Golden Gophers lost five of their last six games to end the season.

Northwestern and Minnesota were meeting for the third time in the last six tournaments, all in the 12-seed vs. 13-seed game.

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 Nick Martinelli scored 28 points to help No. 13 seed Northwestern beat No. 12 seed Minnesota 72-64 to begin the Big Ten Tournament. Northwestern earned its first conference tournament win since 2022 for a chance to play No. 5 Wisconsin in the second round. 

Martinelli scores 28 and Northwestern beats Minnesota 72-64 to begin the Big Ten tourney

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