NU wins NIT opener over Milwaukee

It takes something big for Bill Carmody to break his postgame routine and rush over to glad-hand Northwestern’s students.

“I did it last year,” Carmody said. “I don’t know if it was the last game, but it was a game I was psyched about.”

So it’s safe to assume Carmody joined the masses and came away psyched Wednesday night over Northwestern’s first postseason win in 17 years.

Shortly after the Wildcats wrapped up their 70-61 first-round NIT victory over Milwaukee, Carmody put his radio show on hold so he could applaud the cheering students in Welsh-Ryan Arena’s east stands and slap a bunch of fives.

It’s possible Carmody had an ulterior motive for his trip. He promised Monday to pay the $5 fee for every student who showed up, so he might have been conducting an audit of the packed bleachers.

“I’m going to see that counter and make sure,” he joked when told he owed $3,000.

“It was a great turnout. And they were loud as (heck). From the introductions, I knew it was going to be a nice game.”

Carmody wasn’t the only one who went out of his way to hang with the students who took time from finals week to witness history.

After combining for 45 points, junior forward John Shurna and senior point guard Michael “Juice” Thompson ambled over and posed for pictures with the 10 students (mostly coeds) in the front row who bared their bellies and spelled out “JOHN&JUICE” on their torsos.

“That was great,” Thompson said. “You see that, Coach?”

As everyone else cracked up, Carmody offered one of those pained expressions he usually saves for a dumb turnover.

Clearly Northwestern (19-13) reveled in its first postseason win since edging DePaul in an NIT opener on March 16, 1994.

Shurna provided 25 points and 8 rebounds despite getting his upper lip split open by an Anthony Hill elbow in the first half — and finishing a Consumer Insight final exam two hours before tipoff.

“It was a little different,” said Shurna, who hit 5 of 10 3-pointers. “We usually have shootaround beforehand a couple hours early, but I was unable to make that.”

Thompson offered 20 points and 6 assists in what was likely his final home game. Both delivered when it mattered, too.

Northwestern, which broke open the game with an 18-0 first-half run as Milwaukee didn’t score for 9:50 against NU’s 1-3-1 zone trap, looked like it would cruise into the second round.

But when the Panthers (19-14) reeled off four 3-pointers in a two-minute stretch to pull within 62-56, Thompson and Shurna each drained a 3-pointer to restore order.

Now it’s on to top-seeded Boston College for a 10 a.m. Saturday tip on ESPN. Might Northwestern win two postseason games in the same year for the first time?

“It’s a great feeling,” Thompson said. “We’re just trying to build some momentum here.”