Northwestern Pulls Off Upset Over No. 4 Michigan State

Northwestern guard Boo Buie led all scorers on Sunday night with 30 points on 9-15 shooting.

David Banks/USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State is a legitimate Final Four contender in 2020-21, but Tom Izzo's squad couldn't defeat Northwestern in a Big Ten battle on Sunday.

Northwestern pulled off the upset over of the No. 4 Spartans in a 79-65 win at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. Sophomore guard Boo Buie led all scorers with 30 points on 9-15 shooting, while forward Pete Nance added 15 points in the victory. The win advanced the Wildcats to 4–1 in 2020-21, with their lone loss coming in a 71-70 loss to Pittsburgh on Dec. 9.

🔥 @peteln22 with the one-handed jam for @NUMensBball! pic.twitter.com/V9iUDbXxJa

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) December 21, 2020

Michigan State's offense sputtered throughout Sunday night. The Spartans shot just 38.8 percent from the field and 25.8 percent from three, making just five free throws in the entire contest. Sunday marked Michigan State's first loss in 2020-21 after eight straight victories. Izzo and Co. will take the floor again on Christmas Day as they face Wisconsin.

Northwestern has reached the NCAA Tournament just once in the program's history. The Wildcats finished 8–23 in 2019-20 before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.