Michigan State University
8-4, 0-1B1G
Northwestern
11-1, 1-0B1G
No. 20 Michigan State Stopped By Northwestern, 61-57
12/28/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery 
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State scored the first five points but Northwestern rallied with a 14-2 run and held on to upset the 20th-ranked Spartans 61-57 in a Big Ten Conference opener on Sunday.
Nia Coffey scored 15 points and Christen Inman added 13 as the Wildcats (11-1, 1-0) beat the defending conference champions despite 38 percent shooting, being outrebounded 51-39, and outscored in nearly every category.
Michigan State (8-4, 0-1) hit just 29 percent of its shots - and just 9 of 37 in the first half. Becca Mills scored 21 with 16 rebounds, but shot just 8 of 20. Aerial Powers added 10 points, 13 boards.
Northwestern won 10 straight to open the season, its longest streak since 1995.
The Spartans closed to within 57-54 when Mills scored on a layup after a Michigan State timeout with 1:47 remaining. But the team wouldn't score again until the game was out of reach.
Post-Game Notes
• Sunday's Michigan State starting line-up was the same as in the previous 11 games, consisting of sophomore guard Tori Jankoska, senior guard Anna Morrissey, freshman guard Jasmine Lumpkin, redshirt-sophomore forward Aerial Powers and senior forward Becca Mills ... Mills started for the 81st time in her career, while Powers made her 45th career start and Jankoska started her 29th game of her career ... Morrissey and Lumpkin both made their 12th starts in a row of their careers.
• With 21 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, Becca Mills recorded her first double-double of the season and third of her career ... It is also her second double-digit rebound game of the year and sixth double-figure scoring game of her career ... The 21 points is Mills' second 20+ point outing this season, behind a season-best 22 at Loyola Chicago (12/14) ... Mills' 4-4 free throw shooting was her second-straight 100 percent outing after a 7-7 performance vs. Syracuse (12/21) and her third this season, joining vs. Miami (Ohio) 11/30).
• Mills' 21 points give her 996 for her career, needing just four more to become the 23rd MSU player with 1,000 career points and first since Lykendra Johnson in 2011-12.
• With one block Sunday, Mills now has 74 career blocks, holding her spot at No. 9 on MSU's career blocks list, closing the gap to No. 8, held by Annalise Pickrel (2010-14) with 82 career rejections.
• Powers posted her ninth double-double of the season and 19th of her career with 10 points and 13 rebounds Sunday.
• Mills and Powers' double-doubles marked the second game in a row that two Spartans posted double-doubles in the same game, as Powers and Jankoska logged double-doubles against Syracuse (12/21) ... It is the third game this season with having two players post double-doubles in the same game, as Powers and Jankoska also tallied double-doubles against Georgia Tech (12/4)
• Jankoska and Powers have netted double-digit points in all 12 games this season, as well as the 35th time in their careers with Jankoska's 13 points Sunday.
• Jankoska added two blocks Sunday, for her third multi-blocks game this season.
• Michigan State had a +12 (51-39) rebounding advantage Sunday, as the Spartans have out-rebounded the opponent in 12 of the 13 games, including having a double-digit rebounding advantage in six of the last nine games as part of seven total times this season ... MSU's 51 rebounds is the Spartans' fifth game this season with 50+ rebounds.
• The Spartans' six blocks Sunday was their second-highest rejection total this season behind a season-best seven blocks done in back-to-back games vs. Oakland (11/26) and Miami (Ohio) (12/30).
• MSU's defense limited Northwestern to 2-10 from three-point range, marking the Spartan defense's fifth game limiting the opposition to three or fewer three-pointers ... MSU entered Sunday's game leading the Big Ten in three-pointers allowed per game (4.27).
• Michigan State has now won seven of the last 10 and 30 of the last 33 meetings with Northwestern ... The Spartans now lead the season series 40-23.
• The Spartans are now 17-17 in Big Ten openers.
• MSU is currently 4-3 in the final month of 2013, as the Spartans are now 159-91 in the month of December, as well as 42-21 under head coach Suzy Merchant, having won 14 of the last 22 games in the 12th month.
