Five observations: No. 10 Michigan State gets ugly road win at Northwestern
In a game that no one should ever watch again, No. 10 Michigan State outlasted Northwestern to grind out an ugly 73-67 victory in Evanston.
When college basketball is good, it's as exciting as any sport in America. But when it's bad...well, it looks a lot like what we saw today. Dreadful offense, poor shooting, too many whistles, bizarre foul calls -- this game had it all.
The Wildcats led 19-16 with just under seven minutes left in the first half, and then went on a 10-2 run to extend their lead to 29-18 as the Spartans' offense continued to sputter.
Michigan State closed the half with an 8-2 run to cut their deficit to 33-26 at the break. The Spartans shot just 33.3 percent from the floor (1-of-10 from three-point range) and had nine turnovers in an ugly half of basketball. The Wildcats out-rebounded MSU 26-18 in the first frame, and had 11 offensive rebounds.
Tom Izzo must have breathed fire during halftime, because Michigan State came out of the locker room with an entirely different energy. The Spartans opened the half with a 10-2 run in the first three minutes to take the lead, 36-35.
After the Wildcats retook the lead, 44-40, with just over 13 minutes left to play, Michigan State went on another scoring surge. The Spartans scored 11 consecutive points to take their largest lead of the game, 51-44, with 10 minutes left.
Michigan State pushed its lead to as many as eight points, but it was Northwestern's turn to battle back, tying the game at 57-all with just under six minutes to play. Those final six minutes dragged along, as the Spartans and Wildcats combined for 12 foul calls down the stretch.
In the midst of all the stoppages, Michigan State scored eight consecutive points, only to watch Northwestern punch back with six straight. Then, Gabe Brown hit a dagger of a three-pointer with 49 seconds left to lift the Spartans lead to 68-63. The teams traded free throws down the stretch, and MSU held on for the victory.
1. This was a horrible basketball game
Three teams struggled on the floor in Evanston -- Michigan State, Northwestern and the officiating crew. This was a terrible basketball game to watch. Both teams shot under 39 percent from the floor, and they combined for 24 turnovers and 49 total fouls. Coming off Christmas break, it's no surprised that both teams looked sluggish and out of rhythm, but throw in all the whistles and this game had no flow at all. There were multiple head-scratching calls -- on both ends of the floor -- from this officiating crew. Missed calls, bad calls, makeup calls stacked on top of makeup calls -- just bad.
2. An ugly win, is still a win
With all of the above said, Michigan State went on the road and gritted out a tough road victory to move to 3-0 in Big Ten play. You have to win ugly sometimes in college basketball, especially on the road in this conference. The Spartans shot 26-of-33 from the free throw line, closed the rebounding gap in the second half and shot 6-of-13 from deep after halftime. If I were Izzo or the players, I would be dreading watching this game tape, but at the end of the day MSU remains tied for first place in the conference standings. That's what matters most.
3. Four Spartans score in double-figures
When offense is hard to come by, Michigan State doesn't have a guy they can throw the ball to for a drought-ending bucket. However, the Spartans are very well balanced on offense. Four Spartans scored in double figures, led by Gabe Brown with 20 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Marcus Bingham Jr. was next with 13 points, adding nine rebounds and two blocks. Max Christie had a nice game with 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Joey Hauser also continued his recent upswing with 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a steal.
4. Another strong defensive effort
Part of the reason why both teams struggled offensively is the fact that these are two of the best defensive teams in the Big Ten. The Spartans deserve credit for their efforts on that end of the court. Northwestern was held to 32.3 percent shooting from the floor, and a 5-for-24 effort from three-point range. As a team, Michigan State blocked seven shots and had five steals. Defense is something this Spartans team has been able to hand their hats on all season long, and that will serve them well as Big Ten play continues.
5. Big Ten play marches on
Michigan State has a chance to knock some of the cobwebs loose when they welcome Big Ten cellar-dweller Nebraska to East Lansing on Wednesday. You can't take any game for granted, but that's one that should provide a confidence boost for the Spartans. Michigan State will then travel to Ann Arbor on Saturday for a matchup with rival Michigan in a matchup with two teams headed in opposite directions. The Wolverines opened the season as a Top 10 team, and have fallen out of the rankings entirely after a 7-5 start. The Spartans were unranked in the preseason, and find themselves ranked No. 10 after an 11-2 start. It'll be interesting to see how that game in Ann Arbor plays out.
