Northwestern and No. 10 Michigan State’s Victoria Lucas-Perry played an even first half, each scoring 21 points.

But, the rest of the Spartans added 35 points to give Michigan State a 56-21 at halftime.

The Wildcats lost even more ground in the second half, and ended up with their worst defeat of the season in a 101-40 loss Thursday.

“We embarrased ourselves and the university tonight,” coach Beth Combs said. “I think it was effort and heart, a lack of both.”

The 61-point victory tied the Spartans’ largest victory ever. They defeated Notre Dame by the same margin 30 years ago.

Michigan State (19-3, 8-2 Big Ten) came out to a 9-2 lead to start the game, and never looked back. With the Cats (5-18, 2-8) within six with just over 14 minutes left in the half, the Spartans went on a 21-0 run the next five minutes. They would expand the lead to 35 by halftime — the biggest halftime deficit NU faced all season.

“I think this is attributed to mental lapses,” senior center Sarah Kwasinksi. “We just made the same mistakes over and over.”

In the first half, Michigan State shot 64 percent, compared to NU’s 33 percent. The Cats were out-rebounded 22-9 in the first period and allowed 17 Spartan points off 10 turnovers. Michigan State ended the game outscoring NU 29-0 off turnovers.

The Spartans went 15 for 17 from the field in the first 10 minutes of the game, while NU missed 10 of 14 shots.

Michigan State coach and NU graduate Joanne McCallie’s team did not let up in the second half. The Spartans outscored the Cats 45-19 in the second half. With over nine minutes left in the game Michigan State had 89 points, already a season high.

This was the first time since 1997 that Michigan State scored in double figures in a Big Ten game.

The Spartans had four players score in double figures and got 29 points from the bench.

“This can kind of put us back in our place,” Kwasinski said. “We need to learn we have to work for everything in this league.”

Kwasinksi had the only highlight for the Cats early in the second half, when she became the NU all-time shot blocker with 175 blocks in her career. She added another block before the game was over, giving her three in the game.

With 34 blocks this season, Kwasinski joins Anucha Browne, who she passed for the record, as the only NU players to block at least 30 shots in four straight years.

“It sucks that this is the game I did it in,” Kwasinski said. “It’s kind of exciting, at the same time I would rather get the win.”

Kwasinski had 10 points, five assists, four rebounds along with her three blocks.

But NU struggled in the post, getting out-rebounded 47-19 and being outscored 56-12 in the paint.

Senior point guard Samantha McComb was the only other NU player to score in double-digits, scoring 11 points.

Before this contest, the most Michigan State had scored on NU was 94 points in a 94-90 Spartan win during the Cats NIT season of 1995-1996.

“I’m embarrased and dissapointed,” Combs said. “We’ll regroup and refocus and start again tomorrow and try to find our hearts.”

Reach Abe Rakov at [email protected].