Senior center Mady Sissoko and sophomore guard Tre Holloman wait to check in during a match against Northwestern University at the Breslin Center on March 6, 2024.
In its most crucial moment of the season, Michigan State’s men’s basketball found a way to get it done.
The Spartans came away with a much-needed 53-49 victory against Northwestern on Senior Night this Wednesday, starting slow and going toe-to-toe with the Wildcats before mounting and holding a slim lead in the final minutes.
When it mattered most, the Spartans got the stops, grabbed the rebounds and made the free throws they needed to send their six-man senior class out with a win. The win also went a long way toward solidifying a spot for the Spartans in March Madness.
Graduate student guard Tyson Walker shot just 8-for-21 but led MSU with 19 points and again served as the clutch-shot-maker down the stretch. Walker also reached 2,000 career points Wednesday night, including points from his previous school, Northeastern. Graduate forward Malik Hall had a huge night in his last at the Breslin Center, pitching in 15 points and a career-high 17 rebounds.
Known Spartan-killer Boo Buie for Northwestern was his usual self, controlling the Wildcat offense all while taking and making big shots. Buie finished with 15 points and hit three triples. Nick Martinelli was effective from start to finish, going for 12 points and eight rebounds.
While Wednesday night was bittersweet, the tension inside the Breslin Center was palpable for all 40 minutes. The Spartans honored six seniors—four regular starters—before and after the game, but the elephant in the room was bigger than Senior Night.
MSU badly needed a win, a self-inflicted punishment after losing to Ohio State and Iowa at home before the team’s spring break and then falling at Purdue the following Saturday. The Spartans would be safely in the 68-team NCAA tournament field had they won the two home games, both matchups in which they were favored.
Suddenly, MSU’s Senior Night became less about honoring the program’s elder statesmen and more about executing on the court and emerging victorious.
Northwestern was a different team Wednesday night than when the Wildcats beat MSU by 14 on Jan. 7. They lost guard Ty Berry for the year last month and center Matthew Nicholson was ruled out with a foot injury.
Regardless, the Wildcats looked like the better team early on, only adding to the nervous energy inside the Breslin Center. Meanwhile, Michigan State had its worst shooting half of the season at 7-for-32 (22%).
Northwestern’s Luke Hunger started in place of Nicholson, just his sixth start of the season, and sat with two fouls less than two minutes into play. Martinelli led the Wildcats out of the gate with two contested buckets and strong defense on MSU’s A.J. Hoggard and Jaden Akins.
Things were restless in the building early on as Michigan State’s offense started an abysmal 4-for-21 from the field. Buie drilled two three-pointers to mount Northwestern a 17-9 lead. MSU found a pulse around the five-minute mark of the first half, due to sophomore guard Tre Holloman knocking down consecutive triples to bring the Spartans back within a point at 20-19.
Northwestern’s Brooks Barnhizer nailed a three-pointer in the final minute of the first half to put the Wildcats up 25-20 heading into the locker room. MSU had 20 minutes to dig deep and find a way to win.
While it didn’t look pretty most of the time, the Spartans rose to the occasion. On Hall's shoulders, they came out firing in the second half and did their jobs late.
Hall scored three straight baskets for MSU just three minutes into the second half, which gave the team its first lead since the score was 1-0. The Breslin Center came to life for the first time all night. When Buie missed everything on a long three-point attempt, the student section chanted “air ball” for the entirety of the media timeout. Still, Northwestern stayed composed and within itself, hanging around and eventually re-taking the lead on the back of Buie.
It was a classic, gritty Big Ten showdown. The Spartans took the lead right back and threatened to extend it until Barnhizer secured an offensive rebound for the Wildcats and finished the possession with a converted and-one. MSU led 42-21 with eight minutes remaining.
Both teams were fighting for every point – the score read 49-46 in favor of MSU with just 2:20 remaining after Walker scored at the rim for his 2000th career point. It was going to come down to a possession or two.
Walker scored coming downhill moments later to expand MSU’s lead, but Northwestern’s Ryan Langborg nailed a huge three-point shot inside a minute to play, bringing the Wildcat deficit down to two points.
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Walker missed on the other end, giving Northwestern a chance to tie or take the lead on the final possession. Langborg missed a contested three and MSU secured the rebound, putting the Spartans a pair of made free-throws away from a win on Senior Night.
Holloman finished the job, sinking both free throws to insure MSU’s first win since Feb. 17.
The Spartans will travel to Indiana for a Sunday matinee contest with the Indiana Hoosiers, who are always a tough matchup at Assembly Hall. It will be Indiana’s Senior Day and MSU’s last chance to pick up a true road win before the postseason.
Michigan State and Indiana will tip off at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 10. CBS will air the game.
