UConn ends Northwestern's NCAA Tournament run, Boo Buie's career with Wildcats

NEW YORK — Tears welled in the eyes of Northwestern coach Chris Collins as he made a call he had been dreading.

For five years, point guard Boo Buie worked to bring the Wildcats into relevance. And as Collins called his name with just more than a minute left in ninth-seeded NU’s game Sunday against top-seeded UConn in the second round in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament, it marked the end of the line.

There was just one more message Collins had for Buie in the Wildcats’ 75-58 loss to the defending champion Huskies.

‘‘He told me, ‘Thank you,’ ’’ Buie said. ‘‘He told me how fun it was to coach me. We talked about the things that we’ve built over the last couple of years and how proud of each other we are.’’

The two stood locked in an embrace in front of NU’s bench for what seemed like an eternity. When they finally let go of each other, Buie made his way down the bench, passing out hugs along the way.

‘‘I’m thankful for him,’’ an emotional Collins said through tears. ‘‘He’s set the standard. He’s the GOAT for our program for what he’s done, not only with the records and his legacy as a winner but the credibility he’s helped give our program.’’

Collins was hoping he had a couple of more games left with Buie, but UConn was a steamroller that couldn’t be stopped. It took little time for the Huskies to get humming like a well-oiled machine at the Barclays Center.

That’s how coach Dan Hurley’s team operates, like a brand-new car with a fresh tank of gas. All it needs is someone to start it up.

On Sunday, it was guard Tristen Newton who got his team going with a transition layup off a defensive rebound from 7-2 center Donovan Clingan. The Wildcats (22-12) ‘‘emptied the tank’’ but couldn’t keep up.

Collins said it himself the day before: NU would have to execute to near perfection even to have a chance. But there was no perfection to be found against the Huskies (33-3).

‘‘They have all the ingredients to win another championship,’’ Collins said.

Hopefuls might say the presences of center Matthew Nicholson (right foot) and guard Ty Berry (left knee) would have made a difference, but the reality is that it’s unlikely either would have made a significant impact on the outcome.

Newton finished with 20 points and 10 assists, and Clingan dominated inside with 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks.

UConn picked up Buie full court throughout the game. The Huskies fought over screens, making it so that even a piece of
paper might have had trouble getting in between them and Buie.

Indeed, Buie’s first field goal of the game didn’t come until halfway through the second half. He finished with nine points, shooting 2-for-15 from the field and going 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.

Still, in his final game for the Wildcats, Buie’s effort never wavered. Even with his team trailing by more than 15 points for the entire second half, he never slowed. He was fouled while making a driving layup with about five minutes left, and his free throw cut NU’s deficit to 16.

The Wildcats never got closer, however.