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Michigan State basketball beats Western Michigan, 80-62
EAST LANSING – The easy part is done, even if it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride.
An odd Monday afternoon start led to sloppy play at times, but No. 15 Michigan State basketball finished its nonconference slate with an 80-62 victory over Western Michigan.
Despite committing 17 turnovers that led to 14 Broncos points, it was another balanced performance for the Spartans (11-2). Jaden Akins scored 18 points, Carson Cooper had 13 points and six rebounds, and Szymon Zapala added eight points and nine rebounds. Jase Richardson, Tre Holloman and Coen Carr each scored nine as MSU shot 50% overall and finished with a 41-18 scoring edge off the bench.
The Spartans return to Big Ten play Friday night at Ohio State. Tipoff is 8 p.m. at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio (Fox).
Chansey Willis Jr. had 12 points and Max Burton scored 10 for WMU (3-9), which is coached by longtime Tom Izzo assistant coach Dwayne Stephens, who played for Jud Heathcote from 1989-93 with Izzo as an assistant. It was the first return to Breslin Center for Stephens since taking over the Broncos before the 2022-23 season.
FROM THE GAME:Michigan State basketball fan steals show with epic cross-court putt for $1K at WMU game
Mentor faces the mentee
Izzo talked all week about how difficult it would be to face a protégé, particularly having spent much of the past 30 years alongside Stephens – a player Izzo helped recruit and who was part of Izzo’s coaching staff for 19 years before taking over WMU.
In part, it’s due to the kinship. In part, it’s due to someone having intimate knowledge of the interworking of Izzo’s offense and defense.
And the Broncos disrupted MSU’s offensive flow early, forcing a few early turnovers and getting a pair of 3-pointers from Brandon Muntu and another from JaVaughn Hannah to build an 11-5 cushion less than five minutes into the game.
MSU flipped it from there, ripping off 13 unanswered points over the next four minutes to take control.
It started with Xavier Booker altering a shot attempt by WMU’s Owen Lobsinger and then swatting his attempted kickout pass toward the baseline. Carr dove and saved the ball to Holloman, who quick-flicked it ahead to Richardson for a breakaway dunk. Then Holloman drained a late-shot clock 3-pointer and Richardson added a three-point play after finishing through a hard foul on a layup.
Stephens got whistled for a technical foul during that run after Jeremy Fears Jr. drew a foul on Willis. Then late in the half, the two guards found themselves tangled up again when Fears got called for a foul with 40.3 seconds left before half. The MSU point guard stood near the WMU player, and Willis pushed him – both received technical fouls.
The Spartans got the ball back after a stop, and Zapala tipped in an Akins miss at the buzzer to send them to the break ahead, 37-24. Both teams committed 11 turnovers through 20 minutes, but MSU’s defense stifled the Broncos to 3-for-16 from 3-point range and
This wasn’t easy
WMU wouldn’t go away quietly, scrapping and clawing to remain in contention throughout the second half.
The Broncos opened the second half with seven points in less than a minute, sparked by a Max Burton layup through a foul and followed by a second-chance 3-pointer from Willis after the missed free throw attempt. A 3-pointer by Lobsinger made it a 10-0 start to the half and cut MSU’s lead to 37-34 with 17:40 to go.
But Zapala scored again in the paint, where the Spartans finished with a 36-28 scoring advantage. Akins followed that with a 3-pointer, and MSU once again appeared back on track.
WMU again mounted a final attempt to get back in it, with a Willis jumper cutting it back to a four-point game near the midpoint of the final period. But Fidler countered with a driving baseline layup that started the ultimate knockout punch. Cooper had a three-point play off a lob, and a layup by Richardson and free throws by Carr pushed MSU’s lead back to double digits for good with a little over five minutes to play.
Aside from the turnovers, the Spartans continue to see Fidler’s shot missing. The Nebraska-Omaha senior transfer went 1-for-6 from the field and missed both of his 3-point attempts to finish with six points. And Jaxon Kohler and Booker again struggled, combining to go 1-for-8 overall and 0-for-6 from 3-point range for just three total points and six combined rebounds.
Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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Michigan State basketball dominates Western Michigan in a 80-62 victory
The Michigan State basketball team came out strong and never let up as they defeated Western Michigan with a final score of 80-62. The Spartans controlled the game from start to finish, showcasing their skill and teamwork on both ends of the court.
The offense was firing on all cylinders, with multiple players contributing to the scoring effort. Junior guard Tyson Walker led the way with 20 points, while senior forward Joey Hauser added 15 points of his own. The team moved the ball well and found open looks, shooting an impressive 50% from the field.
Defensively, Michigan State was equally impressive, holding Western Michigan to just 62 points. They forced turnovers, contested shots, and controlled the boards, limiting the Broncos’ second-chance opportunities.
This win improves Michigan State’s record to 2-0 on the season and sets a positive tone for the rest of the year. The team will look to build on this performance and continue their winning ways as they face tougher competition in the coming weeks.
Overall, it was a dominant showing from the Spartans, and fans have plenty to be excited about as the season progresses. Go Green!
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