Evanston, IL (My Sportsbook) - Big Ten Conference foes will collide in Evanston tonight, as the Northwestern Wildcats play host to the 10th-ranked Michigan State Spartans.
Michigan State has won its last six outings to improve to 10-2 overall. On Wednesday, the Spartans opened league play in impressive fashion with a 70-58 triumph over Minnesota. They have also beaten a strong Texas squad during the current winning streak, and the only two losses to date have come against Maryland and top-ranked North Carolina, a pair of ACC opponents.
As for Northwestern, it has suffered losses in two of its last three outings after winning seven of its first eight to begin the campaign. The Wildcats are coming off a 61-57 setback to Penn State in the conference opener on Wednesday, but they do have reason for confidence this evening, as all seven of their home games to date have resulted in victory.
Michigan State owns a 76-36 advantage in the all-time series with Northwestern, which includes 11 straight victories over the Wildcats.
Four players reached double figures in scoring for Michigan State in the victory over Minnesota on Wednesday. Kalin Lucas led the way with 24 points, while Chris Allen pitched in 13 points off the bench. Raymar Morgan added 10 points and 10 boards, and Goran Suton contributed 11 points and 12 rebounds. The Spartans played tremendous defense in that road tilt, limiting the Golden Gophers to 39.6 percent field goal efficiency. They also finished with a 49-27 rebounding advantage, including 23-11 on the offensive boards, and they shot 12-of-13 from the foul line. Overall this season, Morgan is posting 14.8 ppg on 62.3 percent shooting from the floor, and he is pulling down 6.3 rpg as well. As for Lucas, he checks in with 12.4 ppg and 73 assists against only 13 turnovers. Allen (10.4 ppg) and Suton (10.3 ppg) have been solid offensive contributors as well for Michigan State, which is scoring 78.8 ppg while allowing 67.2 ppg.
Like Michigan State, Northwestern boasts four double-digit scorers. Kevin Coble leads the way with 14.3 ppg, and Craig Moore isn't far behind with his 13.5 ppg. John Shurna chips in 10.4 ppg, and Michael Thompson provides 10.3 ppg. The Wildcats, who are generating a modest 66.1 ppg, have been able to limit opponents to 53.5 ppg on 37.8 percent shooting from the field. In the four-point loss to Penn State, Northwestern led by as many as 11 points early in the second half before losing control of the contest. Shurna scored a team- high 16 points in defeat, while Coble and Moore pitched in 11 points apiece. It is surprising that the Wildcats lost the game despite holding the Nittany Lions to 31 percent shooting from the floor. Northwestern was outscored 14-3 from the foul line and outrebounded by a 46-24 margin.
