EAST LANSING – In a late Saturday afternoon Big Ten conference battle, the Michigan State men’s basketball team hosted the Maryland Terrapins at the Breslin Center. It was a mirror matchup of their January 20th meeting in the first half, but ultimately the Spartans prevailed in the second half, winning 63-54.
Tyson Walker started the first half hot, scoring 12 quick points in the first 20 minutes of play. Jahmir Young, however, would match that as MSU went into halftime up 31-27. The Terrapins forced seven first half turnovers for the Spartans, allowing Maryland to stay in the game.
Despite shooting 29% from three and 31% from the field, MSU head coach Tom Izzo gave his thoughts on the first half of action and the frustrations of playing good defense but struggling offensively.
“I was disappointed that our defense was so good, but we couldn’t figure out the turnovers in the first half,” Izzo said.
The second half was more of the same, as neither team could create an edge on each other. The first few minutes of the second half was smash mouth, physical basketball, as MSU and Maryland combined for 4-24 through the first six minutes of the second half. Near the 11 minute mark, MSU went on a 4:27 scoring drought, as the Spartan lead was cut to five.
Young kept the Terrapins in the game, as he finished with a team high 31 points, which would lead all scorers. Izzo acknowledged the game from Young, as multiple defensive assignments were thrown at him, and he continued to score:
“Credit to Young, we threw a lot at him and he continued to find ways to score and make plays. I love players like that and he played great,” Izzo said.
Despite the hot hand from Young, magic came at the 5:30 mark in the second half, as Malik Hall ignited MSU to an 8-0 scoring run, and contributing 14 second half points en route to 19 total game points. Izzo credited the senior for his response, saying he challenged the forward as a coach, after a rough first half.
“Malik Hall is every bit as good as I think he is, and I’m going to push him every game. There is nothing that satisfies a coach more than when I post a player up, and then he responds. And that’s exactly what Malik did,” Izzo said.
The 8-0 scoring run for the Spartans was the dagger, as it eventually transitioned to a crucial 20-9 run, which would put a stamp on the win. A.J Hoggard, who finished with six points, four rebounds, and eight assists, expressed how crucial runs like that can be.
“That 7-8 minute mark we know is closing time, especially how good teams are in the Big Ten. Finding a way to go on a run and get the crowd involved is huge because it allows us to win and create more momentum going forward.” Hoggard said.
Michigan State improves to 14-8 on the year and 6-5 in conference play. The Spartans will travel to Williams Arena and face off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 9 p.m.
