Back-to-back blowout losses should have the ‘Cats in desperation mode.
Michigan State blew the top off a shellshocked Welsh-Ryan in a 10-point win over Northwestern that was not nearly as close as the score would suggest.
As has been the case all season for the Spartans, Michigan State received production throughout its 10-deep rotation. Jaden Akins led the way with 14 points, followed by Jace Richardson with 13. Jeremy Fears Jr. added 12 in addition to a game-high 8 assists.
Nick Martinelli led Northwestern in scoring with 27 points but received very little help, especially from Brooks Barnhizer who finished only four points on 2-of-13 shooting and failed to score in the first half.
The Spartans closed the first half on a 33-12 run and never looked back as a roaring group of traveling Michigan State supporters sucked any Wildcat energy out of the building. The loss marked Northwestern’s first home defeat since an 84-80 loss against Iowa on March 2. The ‘Cats went 16-1 on their home floor in 2024.
Northwestern falls to 1-4 in the Big Ten after the blowout and will have an uphill battle to scrape together a tournament resume in its remaining 15 games.
Martinelli opened the scoring for Northwestern with a signature flipper from the baseline, a welcome change for a Wildcat side that let Purdue and Penn State walk out to respective seven and eight-point leads. It was all Martinelli early as Northwestern’s bellwether made his first three shots — all floaters — to help Northwestern to an 8-7 lead after four minutes.
Szymon Zapala would score five of the first seven for Michigan State, outmuscling Matt Nicholson for an offensive rebound along the way. Zapala’s Spartans arrived in Evanston as one of the better rebounding teams in the Big Ten, and their 12.4 offensive boards per game are good for second in the conference only to Illinois.
Northwestern, however, proved that it could more than hold its own on the glass. An acrobatic Justin Mullins offensive rebound set up a wide-open look for Jalen Leach at the top of the key, which he drained to extend the Wildcat lead to four.
Keenan Fitzmorris came in alongside Mullins after the timeout. Fitzmorris, who appeared in just three games before today, was filling in for Luke Hunger who was out with a foot injury. The Stony Brook transfer made an impact immediately, forcing a miss from MSU’s Cooper Carson at the rim in a phenomenal defensive rotation.
Martinelli continued to stay hot early and picked up his ninth point of the game with a cool catch-and-shoot three. Michigan State’s Jaden Akins, his team’s leading scorer at 14.1 points per game, got on the board with a three of his own, and a Jace Richardson three-point play gave MSU a 17-16 lead with 11:52 to play in the half.
Michigan State came out firing after the second TV timeout. Collins called two timeouts in two minutes to attempt to stop the bleeding, but the veteran head coach could not will his team to put the ball in the basket. The Spartans led 28-16 with eight to play in the half after a 14-0 run that saw Northwestern go almost a full six minutes without a point.
Martinelli broke the drought with a tough and-one layup and connected on an airborne free throw to get Northwestern back within ten. Yet the offense would continue to sputter in the ensuing minutes. Martinelli got zero help as Barnhizer started his morning 0-for-7. A lazy Ty Berry foul and a Coen Carr jam extended the Michigan State lead to 17 with five to play in the half.
It would go from bad to worse for Northwestern in the final minutes of half one. Michigan State’s Richardson elicited a massive pop from a strong traveling Spartan contingent with a deep three. The vaunted Welsh-Ryan turned hostile for the spiraling Wildcats as the Spartan lead ballooned past 20.
Ciaravino and Windham both connected on corner threes to give some life to their ‘Cats to end the half, but it was an altogether disastrous opening period for Northwestern.
Martinelli led the ‘Cats in scoring with 13. Richardson paced MSU with 10, as 10 different Spartans got on the score sheet in the first half. Michigan State led 47-28 at the break.
Northwestern did create some momentum out of the gate in the second half. Martinelli cut the MSU lead to 15 with an and-one layup five minutes into the half, and Barnhizer got on the board for the first time with a nifty floater of his own.
Yet Michigan State’s guard trio of Jeremy Fears Jr., Akins and Richardson were able to keep the ‘Cats at arm’s length.
Martinelli scored 14 points in the final 20 minutes to prevent the scoreline from getting really ugly, but the ‘Cats never really threatened a comeback. A open Windham three with two minutes that would have cut the Spartan lead to eight was the closest Northwestern came to giving Michigan State a scare. Even a late coach Collins technical foul could not inspire Northwestern back into the game.
Although Northwestern outscored the Spartans 40-31 in the second half, it never truly felt like the ‘Cats got any momentum back. Michigan State calmly closed out a 78-68 victory.
Northwestern will have a chance to get back on track on Thursday at home vs. Maryland (12-4, 2-3 B1G).
Michigan State and Purdue are two of the better teams in the country. The Spartans have now won nine in a row. Purdue just beat Nebraska 104-66. I would strongly caution against writing off Northwestern with 15 games to play in the season and ample resume-building opportunities in the Big Ten.
Yet Thursday’s contest against Maryland is approaching must-win territory for a Northwestern team that has now lost three in a row. The ‘Cats need to close January strong if they are to entertain dreams of March.