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Michigan State looks to add to Northwestern's futility

Jan 24, 2008 - 3:33 PM No. 10 Michigan St (16-2) at Northwestern (6-9) 9:00 pm EST

EVANSTON, Illinois (Ticker) - No. 10 Michigan State will go for its 10th straight victory against lowly Northwestern when the two Big Ten schools meet on Thursday.

The Spartans (16-2, 4-1) have not lost to the Wildcats since February 6, 2002 and are coming off a 78-73 victory at Minnesota on Sunday.

Drew Neitzel had a season-high five 3-pointers and scored 19 points in Michigan State's first conference road win of the season.

Meanwhile, Northwestern (6-9, 0-5) is still looking for its first Big Ten win of the season.

The Wildcats are the lone winless team in the conference after going 2-14 in conference play last season. Northwestern has lost all five games by double digits, including a 62-50 defeat at Wisconsin on Saturday.

Kevin Coble, who has played in six games after missing the first nine due to personal reasons, leads the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game, including a career-high 34 points against Michigan on January 12.