Michigan State basketball annihilates Nebraska with team effort in 89-52 win

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EAST LANSING — There comes a point when the combination of talent and potential morphs into something more definitive.

Michigan State basketball might have arrived at that crossroad.

With a blend of precision and tenacity, of play-making and toughness, of overwhelming offense and dominating defense, the 25th-ranked Spartans dispatched Nebraska on Saturday afternoon, 89-52, at Breslin Center. It was as methodical and overwhelming a display of basketball that Tom Izzo has seen in recent years — and perhaps one of the most balanced efforts of his 30 seasons in charge.

All 10 rotation players scored at least four points and grabbed at least two rebounds, led by 18 points from Jaden Akins and 16 from Jase Richardson. But the contributions went far deeper, with Jaxon Kohler grabbing 12 of MSU’s dominating 48 rebounds to Nebraska’s 19.

Michigan State’s Jaden Akins celebrates after a Nebraska turnover during the second half on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

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Xavier Booker had 11 points and six boards. Kohler, Tre Holloman and Coen Carr each scored eight. The Spartans went 22-for-23 at the free throw line and had a 17-3 edge in second-chance points and an 18-7 advantage on the break. And Jeremy Fears Jr. had eight assists as MSU had 20 helpers on 29 made baskets.

After starting with a pair of conference losses last season, the Spartans (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten) have opened this season with a pair of Big Ten victories for the first time since 2021-22. They are off until Dec. 17, when they travel to Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to face Oakland (7 p.m., ESPN2). They don’t resume Big Ten play until Jan. 3 at Ohio State, after two final nonconference home games against Florida Atlantic on Dec. 21 and Western Michigan on Dec. 30.

Andrew Morgan scored 14 points and Brice Williams 11 for Nebraska (6-2, 0-1), which shot just 33.3% overall and 28.6% in the second half as MSU pulled away.

No fear for…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-state-basketball-annihilates-nebraska-192249044.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2024-12-07 19:22:00

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