Winston, Tillman hit reset button in second half rout Detroit Free Press
Bring on Michigan. It might not have gone as scripted, and it took some time to learn to live without Nick Ward. But No. 10 Michigan State found its offensive rhythm with defensive dominance in the second half — and a heavy dose of Cassius Winston. The Spartans rallied from an 11-point deficit early in the second half with a 37-10 burst en route to a 71-60 victory over Rutgers on Wednesday at Breslin Center.
Michigan State overcomes sluggish start to top Rutgers, stay in first place MLive.com
The possession was one of more than 60 that Michigan State had on Wednesday night, and resulted in just three of the team’s 71 points. As much as one possession can turn the tide of a game, though, one of Michigan State’s midway through the second half did. Starting with a Cassius Winston miss with 13:11 left, the Spartans hauled in four straight offensive rebounds to keep the possession alive.
Michigan State comes back in second half against Rutgers State News
Things weren’t going Michigan State’s way Wednesday, nearly sending the Spartans into upset alert. After trailing by as much as 10 in the first half, No. 10 MSU (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) pulled away late with a 27-6 run to stave off Rutgers (12-14, 5-11) at the Breslin Center, 71-60.
Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State basketball’s rally over Rutgers – and what’s ahead Lansing State Journal
1. MSU missed Ward’s ‘presence’ dearly and then figured it out its new normal
2. Freshman thoughts – the Rutgers edition
3. What this means for Sunday in Ann Arbor
Michigan State shakes off rough first half, disposes of Rutgers Detroit News
For about 20 minutes on Wednesday night, Michigan State looked like it was still processing that it would have to play for the foreseeable future without center Nick Ward. The Spartans were out of sorts, missing easy shots and turning the ball over on their way to trailing Rutgers by double digits in the first half as the Scarlet Knights were the aggressor.
Michigan State storms back to defeat Rutgers Spartan Tailgate
No. 10 Michigan State was in danger of getting run out of its own gym. Rutgers came into the Breslin Center Wednesday night ready to fight and held a double-digit lead early in the second half. And then when it seemed that if an MSU run was ever going to happen, it came at a high-octane rate. The Spartans completely flipped the script and used a 28-7 run to defeat the Scarlet Knights 71-60.
Michigan State Uses Second Half Run to Beat Rutgers, 71-60 MSU Official
Cassius Winston (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) scored 28 points and handed out eight assists as No. 10 Michigan State used a big second half to come from behind to beat Rutgers, 71-60, in a Big Ten Conference game at the Breslin Center on Wednesday night.
Xavier Tillman breaks out in Rutgers win Spartan Avenue
It wasn’t pretty and it took a second-half comeback, but Michigan State basketball got a breakout performance from Xavier Tillman vs. Rutgers. He finished with a career-high 19 points to go along with 10 rebounds, a block and a steal. He was all over the court for the Spartans and made sure they won the battle on the glass without their No. 1 big man.
Winston, Tillman lead No. 10 Michigan State in win over Rutgers The Only Colors
No. 10 Michigan State (22-5) defeated Rutgers (12-14), 71-60 Wednesday night at the Breslin Center. Cassius Winston led the Spartans with 28 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Xavier Tillman finished with a double-double and career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Tillman does his part and a bit more in Spartans victory Detroit News
“The coaches did a really good job of telling us, telling me that it’s gonna come from little parts,” Tillman said. “Not one person is gonna step up and take all those points and rebounds. Everyone is gonna have to do a little more. Coach told me I need to get 12 points and 10 rebounds right now. Kenny (Goins), the same thing. Everybody has to step up a little bit more.”
How a rebound sequence set tone for Michigan State’s comeback over Rutgers Detroit Free Press
It set the tone for the second half. And, most likely, saved the game for Michigan State on Wednesday. Aaron Henry grabbed two offensive rebounds, one off his own miss, then Kenny Goins snagged another off his missed 3-pointer. Then another by Henry on a miss from deep by Matt McQuaid. Each board got the Breslin Center crowd a little louder. It even drew a chuckle out of Cassius Winston, who missed the first shot of the sequence.