Northwestern pulls shocking upset over No. 10 Michigan State

Northwestern started a huge day of basketball off with a victory over Michigan State, shocking the nation in the process. The Spartans have been on fire since two early season losses to Kansas and Baylor, but the Wildcats washed it all away.

Led by the play of as center Ryan Young, as well as guards Chase Audige and Boo Buie, Northwestern shocked Michigan State. Young led the way with 17 points, while Buie and Audige scored 12 and 14 respectively.

Spartans forward Marcus Bingham Jr. had a chance to tie it with less than a second remaining, but the senior missed the first free throw of a one-and-one. The Wildcats won by two points — 64-62.

Moreover, Northwestern has been looking for revenge over the Spartans from a loss earlier this month. In their first game of 2022, the Wildcats got out to a 33-26 lead at halftime against the Spartans. However, a furious 47-34 run led the Spartans to a 73-67 victory over Northwestern on the road.

Afterwards, Northwestern was sent into a tailspin. The Wildcats would go on to lose their next three games — defeated by Penn State, Ohio State and Maryland. Now, the wrongs have been righted with a victory over the Spartans.

On the other hand, the Spartans didn’t get nearly enough out of their starting lineup. Outside of forward Gabe Brown, none of the Michigan State starters found their way to double-digits. While forward Julius Marble II helped off the bench with 18 points, scoring was tough to come by for Michigan State.

Moving forward, it doesn’t get any easier for Michigan State. Next on the docket is the Wisconsin Badgers, who represent one of the best teams in the Big Ten. Afterwards, the Spartans travel to face a hungry Illinois team. If Michigan State doesn’t right the ship, it could get ugly fast for Tom Izzo and company.

Northwestern got their revenge on Michigan State on Saturday. The Wildcats will enjoy this one for some time.

More on Northwestern, Michigan State

Northwestern has a gigantic opportunity after beating Michigan State, as the schedule doesn’t lighten up for the Wildcats. If the team can perform at the level they did on Saturday, they can pull an even bigger upset than beating the Spartans.

First, Northwestern must go through Wisconsin on Tuesday. Then, it’s a showdown with Purdue next Sunday that the Wildcats will have to prepare for. Finally, Northwestern finishes the month with showdowns against Michigan and Illinois.

Northwestern saved their season with a victory over Michigan State. Now, the Wildcats have a shot to redeem their year, and make a memorable run over the next couple weeks of the season.