EAST LANSING – Senior guard Jaden Akins quickly set the tone of the Michigan State-Monmouth match-up with an alley-oop off the tip-off.
“Just my mindset,” Akins said on what was different about this game for him. “Just trying to be aggressive and not worry about the little things and overthink things and just be aggressive. That was all that was on my mind.”
This was the first-ever match-up between MSU and Monmouth in program history. The Spartans topped the Hawks 81-57 on Nov. 4 to open up their 2024-25 season.
“Well a year ago we were 0-1 and now we’re 1-0, so there’s positive things here,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said post-game. “It was the step in the right direction, we were 0-1 last year.”
The match-up was physical from the get-go, ultimately racking up 23 personal fouls from Monmouth and 15 from MSU. Turnovers were also high. The Hawks turned it over four times in just the first three minutes of the first half, granting the Spartans four points off those turnovers.
Junior forward Jaxon Kohler came off the bench with a strong start in the first half leading the team with five points seven minutes into the first half. Kohler put up the only three of the first half for the Spartans.
Akins put up another alley-oop, with an assist from redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. to put up his second two points of the night. After two mishaps, sophomore forward Coen Carr finally found the dunk he was looking for off a fast breakaway off a turnover with about eight minutes to go in the first half.
The Hawks had the Spartans beat from behind the arc and from the free throw line going into the locker room at halftime, but MSU remained on top 38-27.
Coming out of the half, sophomore forward Xavier Booker broke his silence and put up his first points of the night with a second-chance layup.
MSU was beaten by Monmouth in three-pointers in the first half by three more made. Akins broke the three-pointer drought for the Spartans with a shot from behind the arc and was the first player to break into double-digits.
Freshman guard Jase Richardson joined Akins in the double-digit club with 3:35 left in the second half with a lay-up off a fast break. Akins continued to be the star in the second half leading himself to finish with 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
“Jaden looked like every bit of the senior he should be,” Izzo said.
In the closing minutes of the game, redshirt freshman guard Gehrig Normand checked in for his first collegiate minutes and freshman guard Kur Teng recorded his first collegiate points.
Within the span of 35 seconds, Teng put up a jumper and a three-pointer, as well as mark the third three MSU got all night. The Spartans finished 3-18 from behind the arc.
“I thought that the three’s that we had, we took 18, I thought 15 of them were great shots,” Izzo said.
Up next, MSU will host Niagara on Nov. 7 with tip-off set for 8 p.m. Tune into the live game broadcast featuring Matt Merrifield and Allie Cohen at impact89fm.org/category/sports/.
