EVANSTON, Ill. – If there was a better game in college basketball than Northwestern hosting Illinois on Friday, we’d like to know where it was.

The Wildcats gave the 19th-ranked Illini a run for their money as the two needed free basketball to decide this game.

In overtime, Nick Martinelli went wild.

He scored seven points and put pressure on Illinois’ shooters to keep up. With 45 seconds left, Northwestern had a one-point lead when defensive end Matt Nicholson followed up with a massive block on Kasparas Jakucionis.

Jalen Leach gave the Cats a three-point lead with 25.1 minutes left and held serve for another stop to defeat No. 19 Illinois 70-66 in overtime.

Here are our takeaways from the first game of the season series between Northwestern and Illinois.

Northwestern needs Nick Martinelli in big games

It hasn’t been a great start for either of NU’s two players who average 20 points per game.

Nick Martinelli was 0-for-4 from the field and missed both of his free throw attempts early in the game. He finished the first half with four points.

But when it mattered most, Martinelli was there. He made two contested baskets and a three-pointer in overtime to give the Cats the lead.

It’s the moral of a short story: If NU wants to win big games, Martinelli has to be consistent. That was the case on Friday.

There may be no one this season the Wildcats trust more with the ball in their hands in the low post. Martinelli has earned that trust with his consistent floater who scores often.

Martinelli proved this with a quick four-point spurt that cut Illinois’ 10-point lead.

Martinelli finished the game with 27 points, but that slow start to his game in the first half was one of the reasons Northwestern fell behind. It wasn’t entirely Martinelli’s fault – Tomislav Ivisic was a big problem in the post all night – but if Northwestern wants to rely on Martinelli’s offense, the team needs to find ways to get him the ball with better looks.

Sometimes NU just has to get him the ball. Martinelli had five quick points to give NU a slim lead early in the second half.

However, Friday evening was further proof. Once Martinelli gets going, NU can rely on him in the biggest games of the season.

Illinois’ athleticism is a double-edged sword

There are few teams in the country that can do it like Illinois can.

Early in the second half, Northwestern took a narrow 34-33 lead thanks to Martinelli’s quick start out of the gate.

The tide turned with a 9-0 Illini run that gave Illinois a 42-34 lead at the U12 media timeout in the second half.

In a game marked by turnovers on the Illinois side and stagnant offense on the Northwestern side, the Illini used their strength to gain a lead.

However, playing too quickly can lead to turnovers and some inconsistencies. This was the case for the Illini, who finished the game with 11 turnovers, while NU had four turnovers.

Illinois went into a lull with about eight minutes left in the game, which allowed Northwestern to recover with an 8-0 run. Illinois repeatedly settled for 3-point shots that never landed.

But a 3-pointer from Ben Humrichous put Illinois back in the lead and ensured Illinois regained momentum.

Tomislav Ivisic will be a problem in the heart of the Big Ten

NU struggled all night to protect Illinois’ leading scorer and 7-foot-1 sophomore.

It wasn’t just him either.

If Ivisic were in the post, he would most likely be in a double act. That meant someone was open. Normally, Illinois requires a high number of 3-point shots, but that’s desirable when players are open on the perimeter.

Still, his passing ability is one of Ivisic’s most underrated skills. That’s not something big men usually have.

Case in point: Ivisic finished the game with five assists to go and his double-double.

By March, perhaps even February at this rate, Ivisic’s name will be well known in the world of college basketball.