Michigan State survives scare from Rutgers to win seventh straight MLive
Tom Izzo wanted said earlier this week that he wanted to see his Michigan State team handle a little success as it entered its second Big Ten game riding one of its most impressive streaks in decades. In its first true road game of the season, the Spartans played their worst game of the season and needed to pull away in the final five minutes to avoid a massive upset against a Big Ten doormat.
MSU hangs on to beat Rutgers in defensive grudge match State News
No. 3 MSU’s six game winning streak was in jeopardy at the Rutgers Athletic Center Tuesday night, but the Spartans (8-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) would hang on for their seventh-straight win at the expense of Rutgers (6-3, 0-2) in a defensive grudge match, 62-52.
Michigan State basketball survives Rutgers scare, 62-52 Detroit Free Press
Michigan State found itself in a dogfight in its first true road game of the season. Not just early. Not just at halftime or the start of the second half. And not just with Rutgers on Tuesday night. With each other.
MSU survives sluggish first half, puts away Rutgers Detroit News
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo didn’t like the effort he saw from his team on Sunday in its Big Ten opener at home against Nebraska. What he saw on Tuesday at Rutgers surely didn’t make him feel any better as No. 3 Michigan State played arguably its worst game of the season but managed to pull out a 62-52 victory at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
Michigan State survives in uninspiring performance at Rutgers Land of 10
No. 3 Michigan State (8-1, 2-0 Big Ten) staved off a scare from Rutgers (6-3, 0-2) on Tuesday in an uninspiring 62-52 win on the road. It marked the seventh straight win for coach Tom Izzo’s team, who ended a three-day, two-game Big Ten run with a pair of victories. Now the Spartans can rest a bit, with just one game between now and Dec. 16.
Michigan State fights past Rutgers for 62-52 win Spartan Tailgate
No. 3 Michigan State survived its worst offensive performance of the season and left Piscataway, N.J. with a 62-52 win over Rutgers on Tuesday night. In a game that was much closer than expected, Michigan State needed 21 points, including five 3-pointers, from Miles Bridges and 11 second-half points and a school-record eight blocks from Jaren Jackson Jr. to get past the Scarlet Knights. Josh Langford also added 15 points but went just 6-for-20 from the field, as the Spartans shot 38.6 percent from and turned it over 15 times.
Bridges scores 21 as No. 3 Michigan State beats Rutgers MSUSpartans.com
Sophomore guard/forward Miles Bridges scored 21 points and No. 3 Michigan State held on defeating Rutgers, 62-52, on Tuesday night in New Jersey. Freshman forward Jaren Jackson Jr. scored all 11 of his points in the second half and had eight of the Spartans’ season-high 13 blocks in helping Michigan State (8-1, 2-0 Big Ten) post its seventh straight win. Sophomore guard Joshua Langford added 15 points.
Sloppy play an eye-opener vs. Rutgers Spartan Avenue
Another game, another win, but this time it wasn’t as pretty. Michigan State had been rolling opponents for the better part of the last few weeks, but Rutgers put up a strong fight in Piscataway on Tuesday night.
Nick Ward defends his play this season after frustrating 11-minute game vs. Rutgers MLive
“If you look at it, let’s break it down,” Ward said. “Can you guys name a big that killed me this year? Can you name a big that scored over eight points on me this year? Have I fouled out of any games?” At that point, Izzo approached Ward and a group of reporters and interjected. “Hey guys, I don’t normally do this, but he’s had a tough night,” Izzo said. “You can ask him one or two more questions.”
Jackson, team equal 2 blocked shots records
Detroit Free Press
The 6-foot-11 freshman tied a program record with eight blocked shots, four in each half. After being held scoreless and without a shot in the first 20 minutes, Jackson made 4 of 5 shots — including two dunks — for all 11 of his points in the second half.
Listless defense costs Nick Ward court time Detroit News
Nick Ward’s playing time has been a hot topic around Michigan State basketball ever since the beginning of last season. As a freshman, Ward averaged 13.9 points, the second-best on the team. However, he played 19.8 minutes a game, fewer than six other players on the roster. The reason, more often than not, was because of Ward’s struggles covering ball screens and the consistent foul trouble he found himself in.