Jan. 24, 2001
Box Score | Postgame audio
EVANSTON, Ill. - No. 3 Michigan State is the defending national champion with a team so deep its reserves would be starters most places. Northwestern is one of the youngest teams in the country with no seniors on the roster.
Take a guess which team won.
Jason Richardson scored 16 points and Zach Randolph added 15 points and six rebounds Wednesday night as the Spartans defeated the Wildcats, 74-58.
Charlie Bell had 12 points and six assists, while Andre Hutson -- playing in his first game since being sidelined with pneumonia -- had six points in 17 minutes. Hutson hadn't played since January 13.
Tavaras Hardy led the way for Northwestern with 17 points, and Jitim Young added 10 for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats made a game of it in the last three minutes - a Hardy dunk sparked a 10-0 run that cut the lead to 69-56 with 1:22 left - but it was way too late by then. For the second half NU outscored MSU, 36-33, but the 'Cats could not make up a 41-22 halftime deficit.
The Spartans shot 65 percent for the night, hitting 31-of-48 shots from the field, but they were sloppy in the second half. And the Wildcats could take heart with their effort on the glass. Michigan State entered the contest leading the nation in rebounding differential, at 17.9 per game, but outboarded the 'Cats, 32-22. Even more surprisingly, Northwestern had 11 offensive boards compared to just nine for MSU.
But even when the Spartans were sloppy, they still managed to look good. A prime example came with 18 minutes left in the game: after the Wildcats stole a bad pass, Richardson tipped the ball and Bell picked it off. Richardson then scored on a putback.
Michigan State missed its first shot of the game, but Randolph grabbed the rebound and scored on the putback. That started a 10-0 run, and Northwestern never recovered. Anytime the Wildcats showed signs of gaining momentum the rest of the way, the Spartans squelched them. When Aaron Jennings scored on a nice spin move, Bell swished a 3-pointer. When Young made a layup, Richardson responded with a monster dunk.
Northwestern is back in action Saturday night against the Great Lakes State's other Big Ten team, Michigan. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan Arena, and the evening will be highlighted by a halftime ceremony honoring NU's 2000 Big Ten championship football team. The Wildcat gridders will receive the Big Ten championship trophy, and head coach Randy Walker will receive the Dave McClain Big Ten Coach of the Year Award.