Because no one in the gym could defend the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.

And when the Wildcats (7-14 overall, 0-10 Big Ten) put a different defender on No. 11 MSU’s (20-3, 8-2) co-captain, he consistently found a way to get the ball in his hands and then quickly release it into the hoop.

He slipped through screens, sliced between Wildcats defenders and swiped loose balls to get open shots.

And they went in — eight different times, giving him 21 points on the night.

“He had a big game and in that one stretch, I thought (that) was unbelievable,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. “He made some big-time shots and it really helped us when we were struggling. He just kind of got in the zone there for a bit.”

But Neitzel said he knows what is expected of him and what it takes for this team to win games.

“I’ve gotta be on top of my game,” Neitzel said. “I’m just trying to help the team out and be aggressive. I had some shots because I was given opportunities. It was a good win for us.”

Northwestern’s chances of stunning the Green and White in East Lansing never looked too far out of reach, as the Wildcats fought hard and trailed by just one with 12 minutes to play in the game.

Then the Spartans would hit their opponents with a 23-9 run they’d never recover from, with sophomore forward Raymar Morgan and senior center Drew Naymick each adding 10 points in the game.

Not to mention, Naymick swatted six shots — a career high for MSU’s all-time blocks leader.

MSU outrebounded Northwestern 33-26 and edged the Wildcats in the assist column, 18-14.

The Spartans finished the game shooting 51.9 percent from the field, while their opponent shot an icy 38.5 percent.

Northwestern’s Craig Moore, who put up 28 points against the Spartans on Jan. 24, led the Wildcats with 21, while Kevin Coble added 14.

“Moore is playing better and better,” Wildcats head coach Bill Carmody said. “The first couple of years when things went bad for him, you’d see it in his body language — he’s matured. He was throwing some beautiful passes. He’s changed — he’s grown up and it’s good to see.”

Neitzel ripped the net with three first-half triples — leading all scorers with 13 points at the break.

The two squads battled neck-and-neck until MSU took control and finished the half on a 8-0 run, including a last-second tip-in from junior guard Travis Walton on a long-range Neitzel miss.

The Spartans travel to Purdue at 7 p.m. Tuesday.