It wasn't easy, but Northwestern is moving on in the Big Dance.
The No. 9 Wildcats won the first overtime contest of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, fending off Florida Atlantic Owls 77-65 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Friday.
Florida Atlantic held a 20-19 lead going into halftime with each team earning season lows for first-half scoring and Northwestern making just seven of its 33 field goal attempts. It marked the first time since 2014 that two teams were held to 20 points or fewer in the first half of an NCAA Tournament game.
The start of the second half was a much different story offensively, as it took Northwestern less than seven minutes to get to 19 second-half points. However, after building a 56-50 lead with 4:52 to play, Northwestern went scoreless for nearly the rest of the half as FAU took a two-point advantage. Junior guard Brooks Barnhizer came through with a game-tying layup with nine seconds left in regulation and Johnell Davis' attempt at a game-winner for FAU was blocked to send the game to overtime.
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Overtime belonged to Ryan Langborg. The graduate transfer from Princeton scored 12 points for Northwestern in overtime, carrying the team across the finish line for the victory.
Ball security was a major issue for Florida Atlantic on the afternoon. The team turned the ball over a season-high 21 times, resulting in 21 Northwestern points.
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Northwestern made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017 and earned its second ever berth in 2023. The Wildcats have now won their first-round contest in all three of their appearances in the Big Dance, but they are still seeking their first trip to the Sweet 16.
Next up for Northwestern is a matchup against either No. 1 UConn, the defending national champions, or No. 16 Stetson at Barclays Center on Sunday.
