Boo Buie scored 29 points, Brooks Barnhizer added 23 and Northwestern beat No. 10 Illinois 96-91 on Wednesday night.
The Wildcats (14-5, 5-3 Big Ten) scored the first nine points in overtime after Illinois’ Marcus Domask missed a jumper at the end of regulation. They got some payback, too, after the Fighting Illini (14-5, 5-3) beat them by 30 on Jan. 2 without star guard Terrance Shannon Jr.
In a game that featured 18 lead changes and 15 ties, Northwestern finally took control in OT.
Buie put the Wildcats on top with a 3-pointer. Barnhizer hit one from the corner, got fouled by Quincy Guerrier and made the free throw to complete the four-point play.
Matthew Nicholson put back a missed layup by Buie following a steal, making it 85-76 with 2:35 left, and the Wildcats remained in control the rest of the way.
Northwestern knocked off a top-10 team for the second time this season to go with an overtime stunner against then-No. 1 Purdue at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Dec. 1. This one came on the heels of a loss at Nebraska on Saturday.
Coleman Hawkins had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Illinois. Domask scored 22. Guerrier added 15 points and 11 rebounds, but Shannon had a rough time in his second game since a federal judge ordered Illinois last week to lift the suspension it handed down in the wake of a rape charge in Kansas.
Shannon heard it from Northwestern fans, who chanted “No means no!” throughout the game. He finished with 12 points while shooting just 1 of 5 on 3-pointers.
Buie finished two points shy of his season high and had seven assists.
Barnhizer, who scored a career-best 24 in the loss at Nebraska, made four 3-pointers.
Ty Berry scored 14 and hit three 3s, helping the Wildcats win for the third time in four games. Northwestern also improved to 10-1 at home.
Illinois outrebounded the Wildcats 46-32 but had just 19 second-chance points to show for 21 offensive rebounds.
The Illini look to improve to 11-2 at home when they meet Indiana on Saturday.