Northwestern vs Stanford basketball Recap

Northwestern 70, Stanford 62

Just when it seemed that another haunting loss was about to visit college basketball's most luckless power conference program, Michael Thompson saved the day. As a result, Northwestern's quest for its first-ever NCAA Tournament remained on the right track.

College basketball has staged a national championship tournament every year since 1939, and the one team from a big-six league (Big Ten, Pac-10, ACC, Big East, SEC, Big 12) that has never punched a ticket to the Big Dance is the assemblage of Wildcats who reside in Evanston, Ill. Saturday on their home court at Welsh-Ryan Arena, those very same Wildcats didn't clinch a berth in the field of 65 - it's a long way to Tipperary for coach Bill Carmody's club - but they did avoid the kind of loss that would have looked very bad on Selection Sunday of 2010.

Northwestern hit just 1 field goal in a stretch of roughly eight second-half minutes against an upstart squad from Stanford that was picked to finish last in the Pac-10's preseason poll. A frustrating afternoon at the offensive end of the court prevented the Purple People from accumulating much of an advantage against the Cardinal.

Yet, for all of their difficulties, the Cats still owned a slim 52-48 lead with 7:30 remaining in regulation time. Carmody's amorphous zone defenses consistently flustered Stanford's offensive attack, enabling Northwestern to keep its nose in front. When the Cats got two 3-point baskets from John Shurna and Luka Mirkovic on consecutive possessions, the home team suddenly established a 60-50 bulge with 5:43 left. Given the way Northwestern milks the clock on its offensive possessions, the 10-point lead felt like a 20-point lead for a more up-tempo club. It seemed hard to imagine Stanford would mount a comeback, but then the ghosts of Purdue and Illinois crept into Welsh-Ryan's increasingly tense environment.

Last season's Northwestern team would have made the NCAAs if it had been able to win home games against a pair of conference rivals. Purdue and Illinois both stunned the Cats in the final minutes of regulation by overcoming late double-digit deficits. While opponents caught fire and showed improved rhythm at the offensive end of the floor, Northwestern lost its winning edge and tried to run clock more than aimed to score. A snowball effect emerged, and as a result, the Boilermakers and Fighting Illini were able to exit Evanston in a state of ecstasy, while Carmody's kids had to absorb the shock of a sickening setback.

Now, fast forward to this Saturday's scene.

When Stanford ripped off a 9-0 run to turn that 60-50 cushion into a 60-59 score with 1:46 left, the Wildcats - clinging to a supremely tenuous lead - had to recall not only their searing defeats last season, but their inability to protect their own home court. Someone had to insist on victory. Someone had to put a halt to the slow-motion train wreck that was once again unfolding in front of Bill Carmody's disbelieving eyes.

Michael Thompson became that man for the Northwestern basketball family. The steely guard banged in a 3-pointer from the left wing to give NU a 63-59 edge and some much-needed breathing room with 1:23 left. When Stanford's Andrew Zimmermann missed a layup with 24 seconds remaining, the Cats - then up by a 64-59 count - could finally exhale. Thompson hit two more free throws for a 66-59 Northwestern lead with 21 ticks left on the clock, and the devastating come-from-ahead loss which had plagued the Wildcats last season had been blessedly and providentially averted.

Northwestern didn't play like an NCAA Tournament team against Stanford, but by finding the will to survive the crucible of crunch time, the Wildcats showed a level of mental toughness that was missing 12 months ago. With more displays of resourcefulness and resolve, this team has a chance to rewrite the history books in Evanston.

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