Jaden Akins scored 14 points and No. 16 Michigan State men’s basketball extended its winning streak to nine games with a 78-68 win over Northwestern in Evanston on Sunday. The Spartans (14-2, 5-0 Big Ten) closed the first half on a 33-12 run and led 47-28 at intermission after all 10 players chipped in at least a field goal. The Wildcats (10-6, 1-4) finally got their deficit under 10 points in the game’s final minute. Jase Richardson scored 13 points and Jeremy Fears Jr. had 12 points and eight assists for the Spartans, whose six dunks in the first half drew plenty of roars from visiting fans who seemed to make up half of the sellout crowd. Nick Martinelli scored 27 points and Jalen Leach had 17 to lead the Wildcats, who lost for the first time at home and dropped their third straight overall. Takeaways Michigan State has one of the nation’s most productive benches, and the reserves delivered again. The Spartans’ subs (24 points) nearly outscored the Wildcats in the opening half. Northwestern had beaten five straight top-25 opponents at Welsh-Ryan Arena but compounded the decisive first-half run with four turnovers while going 3 for 18 from the floor. Key moment Richardson got fouled on a putback and added the free throw to give the Spartans a 17-16 lead with a little more than 13 minutes to play in the first half. It started a 14-point run that gave his team control of the game. Key stat The Wildcats’ Brooks Barnhizer started the day averaging 19.3 points, but missed his first seven shots and finished with four points on 2-for-13 shooting. Up next The Spartans host Penn State on Wednesday, and the Wildcats host Maryland on Thursday.