By LPL Newsroom | LPL News Wire| January 8, 2026

EAST LANSING, MI (JAN 8, 2026) — No. 12 Michigan State Spartans used a balanced attack and a dominant effort on the glass to pull away from the Northwestern Wildcats, securing a 76–66 Big Ten victory Thursday night.

Michigan State shot an efficient 49 percent from the field and controlled the paint, out rebounding Northwestern 42–25. Carson Cooper (#15) was flawless offensively, finishing a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor and scoring a team-high 18 points while adding nine rebounds. Jaxon Kohler (#0) provided a strong inside-out presence with 15 points and eight rebounds, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc.

The Spartans also leaned on steady guard play from Jeremy Fears Jr. (#1), who chipped in 15 points and five assists while converting all seven of his free-throw attempts. Michigan State’s bench contributed key minutes, with Kur Teng (#2) and Cam Ward (#3) combining for 13 points and 13 rebounds to maintain energy throughout the game.

Northwestern was led by Nick Martinelli (#2), who poured in a game-high 28 points and went a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line. Despite Martinelli’s effort, the Wildcats struggled from long range, shooting just 23 percent from three-point distance.

With the win, Michigan State continued its strong Big Ten form, using depth, defense, and rebounding to close out a hard-fought conference matchup.

Game photography courtesy of TimeFrame Photography.