There would be no last-second heartbreak this time.
The Wildcats made sure of that. Five days after Butler’s Kamar Baldwin hit a stepback jumper that fed the narrative of Northwestern basketball as close-but-not-quite-there, an angry, energized team took the Barclays Center floor determined not to let another resume-building opportunity slip away.
“This one hurts, no question about it,” coach Chris Collins said after the 70-68 loss at Hinkle Fieldhouse. “I’m not into moral victories. We’re a good team, and we come into these venues now expecting to win.”
In the opening round of the Legends Classic on Monday night, Northwestern did more than just expect to win.