EAST LANSING, Mich. (Interstat) — The Michigan State Spartans, seeking to rebound from a rare losing streak, will host the struggling Northwestern Wildcats in a Big Ten women’s basketball matchup Wednesday at Breslin Events Center. The Spartans (20-6) have dropped three of their last four games, including an 86-65 loss at rival Michigan on Sunday. Despite the recent skid, they remain firmly in the NCAA tournament picture. Standout guard Kennedy Blair has been a consistent force, averaging a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds in that loss to the Wolverines. Over her last seven games, Blair is averaging 16.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Northwestern (8-17) enters on a seven-game losing streak, most recently falling 81-71 at Penn State on Sunday. The Wildcats have not won since a 66-61 victory over Wisconsin on Jan. 15. Their offense will run through sophomore guard Caroline Lau, who is coming off a 17-point, five-rebound performance against the Nittany Lions. During the losing streak, Lau has averaged 10.7 points and 5.5 assists per game. The matchup pits one of the conference’s top teams against its cellar dweller. Michigan State’s potent offense, which averages over 76 points per game, will challenge a Northwestern defense that has allowed 80 or more points in five of its last seven contests. The Spartans won the season’s first meeting 82-67 in Evanston on Jan. 4. For Northwestern, finding secondary scoring behind Lau and forward Grace Sullivan, who had 16 points and seven rebounds Sunday, will be critical. For Michigan State, re-establishing its defensive identity after allowing an average of 85.6 points in its three recent losses is the primary focus. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EST. Following this game, Michigan State will visit Minnesota on Sunday, while Northwestern will host Illinois.