Photo: David Banks ~ IMAGN IMAGES
EAST LANSING, Jan. 12, 2025 ~ #16 Michigan State basketball (14-2) got off to a 23-point lead near the end of the first half and didn’t look back, pushing to a 78-68 win at Northwestern (10-6) for the Spartans first win in Evanston since 2022. The victory marks the ninth straight win for MSU and fifth in Big Ten play, continuing the longest undefeated streak in the conference this season.
All 10 of the players that checked in the game scored for the green and white, led by senior and freshman guards Jaden Akins and Jase Richardson, who finished with 14 and 13 points respectively. Akins career point total has now eclipsed 1,000, joining former teammates A.J. Hoggard, Malik Hall, and Tyson Walker who reached the mark last season.
Redshirt freshman point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. followed with 12 points of his own, but was also key in creating effective offensive movement. He led all players with eight assists, while only tallying one turnover to pave the way for an 18-11 assist to turnover ratio from the entire team.
Dunks were aplenty in the first 20 minutes of the match, as MSU used the explosive momentum to double the Wildcats score early in the afternoon. Sophomore forward Coen Carr did what he does best, running baseline and getting his head above the rim for a powerful slam dunk.
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Per usual 💪 https://t.co/jPjdiuQipY
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) January 12, 2025
(CONTINUED) Michigan State did well in denying open looks for Northwestern, as the home team only converted on 36% of their shot attempts. They struggled even more from three point range, hitting only five of 25 looks.
On the other hand, the Spartans did most of their work inside the three point arc. They finished the game shooting 50% from the field and from beyond the three point line, taking advantage of open looks. They made four of their eight three point attempts.
Despite the big lead, the Wildcats fought back in the second half thanks to a game-high scoring performance from junior forward Nick Martinelli. His 27 point outing was not enough to pull his team back from the brink though, as MSU took home a double digit win.
The Spartans will head back to East Lansing this week to welcome Penn State in an effort to reach 10 consecutive wins. Catch coverage at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15 on 760 WJR.
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