This game mattered. Don’t let the calendar, or the circumstances or the players tell you differently.

Northwestern’s 73-59 win over Florida State was a statement. It was a call out to the rest of the Big Ten: Throw your best at us, the Wildcats will not roll over.

Forget last year’s disappointing 8-22 effort. That was erased like the four-point margin the Seminoles held early in the second quarter when Craig Moore unleashed his fury and energy on the Welsh-Ryan Arena floor.

It was Moore who took a charge, hit a three and then drew another offensive foul on consecutive possessions with 16:33 left that sparked a 20-2 run that gave the Cats a 56-44 lead with 11:16 left. His primal scream echoed through the rafters of the arena as the crowd grew louder, heightening the excitement and intensity of the nationally televised game.

“Any time your up against a team like Florida State where, especially when it is a first time measuring stick to see where we’re at, you’ve got to bring everything that you’ve got and try to prove to yourself that you can beat the best,” Moore said.

NU is now off to its best start since 2001, when the team went 7-1 and finished the year 16-13. It was the only season the Cats have finished with an overall winning record under coach Bill Carmody. This team with its mix of youth and veteran leaders can certainly match that team’s success.

Florida State was clearly the toughest test NU has faced so far this season. The Seminoles had athletic big men who could rotate and block shots. They had guards who could get to the basket and score.

The only thing they didn’t have was experience. And the Cats exploited that youthfulness to its fullest extent.

It was clear early on that freshmen John Shurna, Kyle Rowley and Luka Mirkovic were not ready for the atmosphere and athleticism that came from Florida State. The three combined for 12 points — eight from Shurna, the most polished of the three — on 4-of-13 shooting.

“That’s not a veteran team. They have five freshmen, we’re playing five freshmen. We should win that game,” Carmody said. “On our home court, we have some veteran guys. I tell the upper class guys: ‘Look, it’s up to you guys. The freshmen will come. There will be spikes where they will be pretty good. But it’s up to you guys.’”

Out they came. And in went the energy of Ivan Peljusic, Jeremy Nash and Jeff Ryan. Peljusic himself was a wrecking crew with eight straight points in that second-half run that gave NU the lead. But their experience did not fluster the Seminoles alone.

Carmody had the strategy to take Florida State out of their game and executed it perfectly. His pressure defense forced 22 turnovers and only allowed seven makes in the second half on 26.9 percent shooting.

“Sometimes as a coach, you have to evaluate not as much as what you didn’t do, but what the other team has done and give them the credit,” Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. “I thought their defensive scheme was a lot more effective against us.”

This game was when all the things that went wrong last year went right. And it was done on a national stage against a quality opponent.

It is a huge confidence boost for a team (frankly) used to losing. With the crowd in a frenzy not usually seen until Big Ten season in January, the Cats pulled through with a come-from-behind victory with the poise of a team used to winning.

Don’t expect the effects from this game to fade.

prossmanreich@u.northwestern.edu

By Adam Fusfeld

The players were fired up, showing emotion at each stoppage and throwing themselves at each loose ball igniting the crowd.

Northwestern (5-1) played energetic and inspired ball to the tune of a 73-59 victory over Florida State on Wednesday. Still, it was the team’s commitment to defense and rebounding behind all the emotion that led them to win.

The Wildcats forced 22 turnovers, and held the Seminoles to just 7 of 26 shooting in the second half, to come back from a five-point halftime deficit.

“We got much tougher in the second half,” sophomore forward Ivan Peljusic said. “In the first half we were kind of letting them push us around. They were like grown men, and we were like kids.”

Peljusic was an instrumental element to NU’s second half surge. He scored eight straight points, including a fast-break slam, to open up a five-point Cats lead.

But coach Bill Carmody said he substituted Peljusic into the game not for his offense, but for his defensive help, especially in the paint.

Just as the young Florida State squad would get accustomed to the NU defensive scheme, Carmody would change it up. He alternated between a 2-3 matchup zone and his patented 1-3-1 defense to disrupt the offense. Carmody also interchanged a full court press to pester the Seminoles.

“The 1-3-1 initially did cause a number of turnovers,” he said. “I also think that the little annoying press with Craig (Moore0 up there and Mike (Thompson) up there helped. Even if you don’t get a turnover it starts their offense further out a little bit, and so they’re not really in sync and I thought that helped us.”

Turnovers were a huge factor in the Cats nationally-televised victory. Toney Douglas, Florida State’s senior guard and leading scorer, turned the ball over seven times.

Still, Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton felt that the turnovers were not a result of NU pressure, but rather a consistent defensive mindset. He said many of his teams turnovers were unforced, the sign of a young team.

“They went through our hands, through our legs. We walked without any pressure. We invented ways to turn the ball over,” Hamilton said. “We did not take care of the ball even though I thought that their 2-2-1 was more of a contained zone not a pressure zone that forced the turnovers. It just slows you up, and instead of slowing us up it forced us into indecision.”

The NU defense did more than just force turnovers. Aside from holding Florida State to low shooting percentages, the Cats also outrebounded their opponent 41-33. The Cats grabbed 18 offensive rebounds including four by freshman forward John Shurna. And Junior forwards Kevin Coble and Jeff Ryan each pulled down eight boards of their own.

“We didn’t think they could shoot that well,” senior guard Craig Moore said. “But we knew once they missed it they got the rebound and put it back in. So we had to (hold them to) one-shot and out. And I think we did that pretty well tonight.”

Certainly the energy and hustle that the Cats displayed were a crucial aspect to the victory. But by combining their methodical offense, with defensive intensity and a good showing on the glass, the squad was able to stifle the Seminoles and ensure a win.

“We won this game with our defense,” Peljusic said. They shot like 25 percent [6-of-23] from the 3-point line, and we outrebounded them too. So, I think defense was a major part of this win for us.”

adamfusfeld2007@u.northwestern.edu

By Matt Forman

After Northwestern’s 16-point victory over UC Riverside on Monday, coach Bill Carmody wished for his team to be tied or trailing at halftime in a game to see how it responded.

On Wednesday, Carmody got exactly what he was hoping for. NU went into halftime down three points to an undefeated Florida State.

“I was pretty disappointed heading into halftime,” Carmody said. “I was not pleased at all.”

In the second half, Carmody got more than he ever could have hoped for.

The Wildcats (5-1) responded with arguably the best 20 minutes of basketball during Carmody’s eight seasons in Evanston and topped the Seminoles 73-59.

It all started with the energizing play of the team’s elder statesman –- senior guard Craig Moore.

With less than 17 minutes remaining in the second half and Florida State (7-1) ahead 42-38, forward Jordan Demersy drove baseline and released a floating jump shot. En route to the basket, Demersy ran into Moore,
who drew a charge. On the ensuing possession, Moore hit a 3-point shot from the right wing behind a screen set up by John Shurna.

After Florida State’s in-bounds pass, Moore applied pressure near half court and drew an offensive foul on Toney Douglas as he fell into the scorer’s table.

As the official signaled the foul call, Moore stood up, pounded his chest and released a primal scream, letting his emotions show and bringing 3,500 fans at Welsh-Ryan Arena to their feet.

“When things are going good, you feel like that’s a big play in the game, maybe a turning point in the game,” Moore said of his celebration. “You just want to get the most momentum out of every play. I don’t know if it did that, but I’d do it again if I had to.”

Two possessions later, junior forward Kevin Coble (15 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) stripped Luke Loucks of the ball as he cut through the lane, and threw a full-court pass to sophomore Ivan Peljusic. The 6-foot-8 forward accepted the pass, took two steps and emphatically dunked the ball.

“I didn’t even know who passed me the ball,” Peljusic said. “I was just trying to get as high as I could and dunk that.”

Moore, who finished with 20 points and five rebounds, ignited the Cats with his all-around play on a 20-2 second half charge that built their lead to 12 points.

NU went into halftime trailing by three points largely because of their inability to connect on free throws. The Cats went 7-of-14 from the charity stripe in the first half and shot only 33 percent from the
floor.

But it was the defense and rebounding that kept NU in the game in the first half. Florida State shot one of eight from long distance and lost the rebounding battle by five in the opening period.

After the disappointing first half, Carmody gave what Peljusic described as a “monologue.”

“He said just about every curse word you can think of,” Moore said of Carmody’s halftime tirade.

Carmody said his halftime speech was about the human element of the game, not about fundamentals or technique. Whatever Carmody said, it worked. NU’s biggest lead of the second half stretched to 16 points, but the team was not able to cruise to an easy victory.

Florida State managed to cut NU’s lead to seven with 7:18 remaining in the contest, but the Cats responded once again.

Peljusic stole an attempted pass into the post, one of the Cats’ 22 forced turnovers, and pushed the ball down the court. Sophomore guard Michael Thompson perfectly placed a one-handed bounce pass to junior
Jeff Ryan, who cut backdoor and easily converted on the layup.

After the teams traded points over their next several possessions, NU found itself ahead by 12 with just more than two minutes to play. The Cats ran the shot clock down within 10 seconds, and Coble drove baseline. As the junior reached the basket, he made a nifty move and put a reverse layup in for two points.

The Seminoles took quick 3-point shots in a frantic effort to lessen the lead and continued to foul the Cats on their final possessions, but to no avail. With the clock winding down in the final seconds, Thompson
dribbled the ball to half court to a standing ovation.

“It was surreal,” Coble said of the atmosphere.

The victory was certainly one that Carmody will remember. It was his 200th career win on the day before his 57th birthday.

The Cats’ win came against the best team they have faced all season. It doesn’t get any easier when NU faces DePaul (4-1) on Saturday. Still, the 14-point victory proved something to fans and players alike.

“It was a first time measuring stick, see where we’re at,” Moore said. “You’ve got to bring everything you’ve got. And just try to prove to yourself that you can play with the best.”

matthewforman2007@u.northwestern.edu

Northwestern used an outpouring of emotion in the middle of the second half to spark a 20-2 run to transform a 42-36 deficit into a 53-44 lead. Florida State could not handle the pressure applied by the team’s defense as the Wildcats earned the victory 73-59 Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Senior guard Craig Moore sparked the run with a series of three hustle plays. He first drew an offensive foul on defense. Then he hit a 3-pointer to pull NU (5-2) (5-1) within one. As Florida State attempted to bring the ball up the court, Moore drew a second charge, pounding his chest and issuing a scream to punctuate the series.

The energy was infectious. As junior forward Kevin Coble would block a shot and find sophomore forward Ivan Peljusic for a dunk a minute later. Peljusic gave the Cats a four point lead when he drew a foul on a two-handed lay up. He made the free throw to further extend the lead.

The Seminoles (7-1) could not recover as they committed more than 10 turnovers in the second half and could not match their 56 percent shooting performance from the first half.

The Cats found their shooting tough after struggling in the first half both from the field and the line and easily put the game away.

Moore scored 20 points and Coble added 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the win.

Keep it here for a more complete wrap-up.

Whatever coach Bill Carmody said at halftime really worked wonders on this team.

Northwestern has come out with a defensive and offensive fire and are playing this game as if it were a must-win, erasing the halftime deficit and taking as large as a nine-point lead. They have a 53-44 lead with 11:51 left.

Want proof of this newfound energy and fire?

Down by four, senior guard Craig Moore drew a charge, nailed a 3-pointer and drew a push-off offensive foul on consecutive possessions. After he drew the second charge, he let out a primal scream and pounded his chest.

Want more proof?

Try sophomore Ivan Peljusic throwing down a two-handed jam and then getting the ball again on the baseline and going up for another dunk, but hitting the basket and earning the foul to give the Cats the lead.

NU is on a 17-2 run and Florida State seems lost. the Seminoles continue to turn the ball over. They have at least five midway through the second half. One of them being a shot clock violation that came after a timeout.

The Cats have the Seminoles on the ropes right now. They will have to keep up their hot shooting — off of an efficient offense — and pressure defense to keep the lead.