EAST LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Within one, 64-63, with under a minute to play, Michigan State couldn’t get the stops needed as Northwestern University pulled away, 70-63, upsetting the Spartans in the Big Ten opener.

“I thought we got out toughed and that team played well and hard and those guards played really hard. We just don’t have the depth yet and when our guards got in foul trouble in the first half and we had a seven point lead we didn’t respond very well,” said head coach Tom Izzo. “I changed the line up for a reason and it was to light a fire under AJ for not doing the things done I need in a point guard  and to his credit he responded extremely well.”

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Mady Sissoko and A.J. Hoggard led the team with 12 points as Joey Hauser had 10 points and eight rebounds. MSU shot 41 percent from the floor, 36 percent from the arc, and 75 percent from the line. Northwestern finished shooting 42 percent making 30 percent of their three-pointers.

MSU jumped out to a 5-0 lead and had a 17-10 lead on a Pierre Brooks three-pointer with 12:44 left in the half. Northwestern responded on an 8-0 run to take the lead, 18-17, in two minutes. MSU retook the lead making it another seven-point lead, 27-20, only to see Northwestern tie it at 29 with 4:53 to go. Northwestern finished the half outscoring MSU, 9-8, for a 38-37 lead.

Northwestern never relinquished the lead in the second half taking a nine-point lead, 55-46, with 11:26 left in the game. MSU was within four several times in the half but couldn’t get any closer than one-point, 64-63, with 46 seconds left to play. Northwestern hit a shot and made four free throws in the final 40 seconds to hand MSU their first Big Ten loss of the year.

MSU will face Penn State on Wednesday in Pennsylvania at 6:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.