Northwestern laid an egg tonight in East Lansing, and there's simply no other way to put it. At the end of the first quarter, it trailed by nine. By halftime, it was down by more than 20.
Turnovers, as per usual, were a pretty big problem for the 'Cats. Michigan State turned the ball over five times to Northwestern's 17. The Spartans made the best of NU's mistakes, turning those turnovers into 22 points on the other end.
This has been a major theme this year and in recent seasons. If the 'Cats can't start maximizing possessions instead of coughing up the ball, it's going to be difficult for them to get many more wins down the stretch. Whoever the coach is next season, it's pretty clear that fixing this issue should be at the top of his or her list.
Grace Sullivan was a true bright spot for the Wildcats tonight. She's been a stud all season, but her scoring output has been a little less predictable in recent games. Similarly to Nick Martinelli on the men's side, it's really difficult to be the only consistent scorer on a bad basketball team,
She finished the contest with 23 points on 11-of-20 shooting. Sullivan also tacked on four rebounds in 28 minutes of action. Casey Harter also chipped in with 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting.
The Spartans, meanwhile, had five players in double figures and had their way with the Wildcats' defense all night. The 'Cats looked completely outclassed on that end, and they didn't really give themselves a chance to make enough buckets to close the deficit.
In the first quarter, Caroline Lau and Xamiya Walton did some scoring the keep the 'Cats within striking distance. But once Harter and Sullivan got hot, those two had cooled off considerably.
The second quarter was when Northwestern's defense really fell apart. The Spartans scored a whopping 32 points, and the 'Cats only mustered 14, essentially ending the contest before the second half even started.
In the second half, to its credit, Northwestern didn't completely give up. It failed to make any dent in the deficit, but it didn't get much worse. In the third, MSU out-scored the road team 23-22. Then in the fourth, Sparty held a 26-18 advantage.
Say what you want about these two Northwestern squads this year, but neither of them ever seem to completely stop playing. That can be difficult in the midst of a losing season, especially during blow out losses.
The 'Cats will be back in action on Sunday against Illinois at home.