Northwestern Wildcats 66, Michigan State Spartans 76
NCAA Men's · 2026-01-08 · Winner: Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans defeated Northwestern Wildcats 76–66 on 2026-01-08 in NCAA Men's play, a 10-point result. A 10-0 home team run ending at H2 10:27 swung win probability 18% → 76%. Below is the quarter-by-quarter linescore, a win-probability timeline, and an automated breakdown of why Northwestern Wildcats lost.
Linescore
| H1 | H2 | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Wildcats | 35 | 31 | 66 |
| Michigan State Spartans | 28 | 48 | 76 |
Win probability
Turning point — A 10-0 home team run ending at H2 10:27 swung win probability 18% → 76%.
Why Northwestern Wildcats lost
- Lost H2 31-48 - the worst stretch of the game.
- Gave up a 10-0 run ending at H2 10:27 (win probability 18% → 76% for the home side).
- Shot 43.1% eFG vs a 51.7% season average - a cold night.
Scoring runs
| Team | Run | Ends | Win-prob swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Wildcats | 11–0 | H1 0:04 | 76% → 25% |
| Michigan State Spartans | 10–0 | H2 10:27 | 18% → 76% |
| Michigan State Spartans | 8–0 | H2 0:36 | 81% → 100% |