Five Observations: No. 11 Michigan State tops feisty Oakland club in Detroit
Michigan State got off to a fast start and was able to hold off several Oakland rallies on its way to a 90-78 victory at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Tuesday. The Spartans have won five in a row and improve to 10-2 on the season.
The first half was a back-and-forth series of runs by both ball clubs.
Michigan State got off to a great start, scoring the first eight points of the game. The Golden Grizzlies weren't fazed by MSU's fast start however, battling back to cut their deficit to 19-18 with just under 12 minutes left in the first half.
A 15-4 run by the Spartans over the next four minutes of play stretched the lead back to 34-22, but Oakland once again responded. The Grizzlies went on a 13-2 run of their own to make it 36-35 with three and a half minutes left in the first frame.
But MSU closed the half the way they started the game, scoring eight consecutive points to take a 44-35 lead into the locker room.
Oakland struggled to mount another rally in the second half, as the Spartans got hot from the three-point line. Michigan State knocked down __ triples after the break, and the lead grew as high as 16 points. The Grizzlies got back to within eight in the final two minutes of play, but got no closer.
The Spartans outscored Oakland 46-43 in the second frame. Michigan State was balanced in its scoring, with five players scoring in double figures. The Spartans shot an efficient 55.4 percent from the floor as a team.
1. Marcus Bingham Jr. dominates the Grizzlies
It was clear early on in this one that Marcus Bingham Jr's size and length were going to be a problem for Oakland. The Grizzlies had no answer for the senior, as he racked up 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting, while adding 12 rebounds, 4 blocks and a steal. Bingham Jr. has been really good for the Spartans all season, and he's been a matchup problem for most of MSU's opponents so far this season.
2. Max Christie finds his shooting stroke
The freshman has been really sound of the defensive end of the floor most of the season, but had struggled to score efficiently. That changed on Tuesday, when Christie contributed 17 points to the Spartans winning effort on 6-of-8 shooting. The freshman connected on 4-of-6 attempts from beyond the three point line, and added 4 rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot. This was a nice outing for Christie, and hopefully one that will build his confidence moving forward.
3. Great bench production
The Spartans got a lot of help from their bench on Tuesday night. Malik Hall continued his strong season with 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Meanwhile, AJ Hoggard contributed 7 points and 7 assists, while turning the ball over only once. Julius Marble had 4 points and Jaden Akins added 3 points for a total of 27 bench points for MSU.
4. A double-double for Tyson Walker
Walker was MSU's least efficient scorer -- he had 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting -- but he was excellent in his distribution of the basketball. The transfer from Northeastern had 10 assists and only one turnover on the night. Defensively, Walker also had three steals. Although he didn't shoot the ball particularly well, this continues what has been a strong stretch of basketball for Walker. He's becoming more comfortable in that starting point guard role, and giving Tom Izzo a lot of good minutes.
5. A layoff, a gimme game, and a return to Big Ten play
The Spartans had a ten-day layoff in-between tonight's game and their previous win over Penn State, and Michigan State will now have to wait an additional eight days before their next outing against High Point University. There shouldn't be any funny business in that game in East Lansing, as the Spartans will be heavily favored. Michigan State will then return to Big Ten Conference play on Jan. 2 against Northwestern. The Spartans should be carrying plenty of momentum into the new year.
