Northwestern Men’s Basketball Falls After Second-Half Collapse vs Michigan State

On Saturday afternoon at the Breslin Center, those pleas once again went unanswered at the most critical moment. In what is becoming a hauntingly familiar pattern for Northwestern (8-7, 0-4 Big Ten). It's a double-digit scoring performance from their star forward that wasn't enough to prevent a second-half unraveling. That led to a 76-66 loss against No. 12 Michigan State.

Northwestern Men’s Basketball Showed A Tale of Two Halves

The defeat marks Northwestern’s fourth consecutive loss to open conference play. That's a stretch defined more by late-game lapses than early-game deficits. Facing a top-tier Spartan squad (14-2, 4-1 Big Ten) on the road was always a daunting task.

FINAL | #12 Michigan State 76, Northwestern 66
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) January 9, 2026

However, for thirty minutes, the Wildcats seemed poised to steal their first conference win. If there was a singular statistic that told the story of the collapse, it was found on the glass. At halftime, Northwestern trailed the rebounding battle by a manageable 17-13 margin. By the final whistle, that gap had ballooned into a 42-25 chasm in favor of the Spartans.

This inability to secure the defensive glass allowed Michigan State to dictate the physical terms of the second half. While Martinelli reprised his role as the Big Ten’s leading scorer with a game-high 28 points, he was the only Wildcat to reach double figures.

The lack of secondary offensive support, combined with the extra possessions afforded to the Spartans through offensive rebounds. That made the Northwestern lead feel increasingly fragile as the clock ticked down.

In the first half, the Wildcats capitalized on early foul trouble for Spartan guard Jeremy Fears Jr. He was forced to the bench with two fouls in the first five minutes. In his absence, NU thrived.

Freshman forwards Tre Singleton and Tyler Kropp provided a much-needed spark. They combined for 12 first-half points as Coach Collins once again limited junior center Arrinten Page’s role for a third straight game.

The peak of Northwestern’s execution came late in the first half. A dogged Wildcats defense forced three consecutive Michigan State turnovers. That fueled an 11-0 run that sent the visitors into the locker room with a stunning 35-27 halftime lead.

What Could Have Been the Turning Point

However, the momentum shifted the moment the second half began. Jeremy Fears Jr., scoreless in the opening half, erupted for 15 points after the break. Alongside senior center Carson Cooper (18 points) and senior forward Jaxon Kohler (15 points), the Spartan trio overwhelmed the Northwestern interior.

Backing down Singleton in the post, freshman forward Cam Ward converted a hook shot and a foul to cut the Northwestern lead to two. On the next possession, Kohler drained a three after losing his assignment, putting Michigan State back in front.

After a missed layup by NU guard Jayden Reid, Coen Carr ignited the building with a thunderous windmill slam. That punctuated a 10-0 Spartan run and forced a desperate timeout from Collins.

Northwestern is now staring down a 0-4 start in Big Ten play. The Wildcats will look to halt their slide and rediscover their defensive identity on Sunday when they travel to face Rutgers at 4 p.m.

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