Five Observations: No. 10 Michigan State pulls away late to beat High Point
In a game that turned out to be much more of a battle than anyone expected, No. 10 Michigan State outlasted High Point, 81-68, with four Spartans out of the lineup.
Two starters (Marcus Bigham Jr., Max Christie) and two reserves (Pierre Brooks, Steven Izzo) were unavailable on Wednesday due to testing positive for COVID-19.
Michigan State was sluggish in the early-goings, missing their first eight shot attempts and going scoreless for nearly the first five minutes of play. Fortunately, the Panthers didn't have much success on offense either, and MSU held a 7-3 lead with 14:21 left in the first half after three consecutive baskets.
The Spartans struggles offensively continued throughout the remainder of the first half. Leading 24-17 with 6:26 left in the frame, Michigan State allowed High Point to close the half on a 18-10 run, and the Panthers took a 35-34 lead into the locker room.
The Spartans shot just 35.3 percent from the floor in the first half, including a 4-of-12 mark from three-point range. High Point, meanwhile, shot an efficient 44.8 percent from the floor, and was 6-of-12 from deep.
Michigan State came out of the break strong offensively, hitting 7 of their first 11 shot attempts, but the Panthers held serve. With the game tied, 56-56, with nine minutes to play, the Spartans finally took control. Behind a suddenly red-hot Gabe Brown, who went __-of-__ on three-point attempts in the second half, Michigan State went on a 18-7 run over the next five minutes of play to take a 74-63 edge over High Point.
That run ended the Panthers' hopes for a Top 10 upset, as the Spartans closed out the contest.
1. Sluggish effort for MSU
Obviously, missing two starters had a major impact on the Spartans, but there was more to the struggles today than just that. Michigan State was sluggish right from the opening tip. The legs weren't there on jumpshots, and the Spartans didn't get out and run like we're used to seeing them. MSU did finish with 17 fastbreak points, but most of those came late. Christie and Bingham Jr. were missed even more on the defensive end, as the Spartans missed their length and athleticism. High Point finished the game shooting 46 percent from the floor and 53 percent from three-point range.
2. Joey Hauser comes up big
Hauser got off to a slow start this season, and after he struggled for much of the 2020-21 campaign, it was fair to question his role on this team. However, the senior had shown some positive signs coming into today's game, and he played a key role in keeping the Spartans head above water in the first half today. Hauser scored 11 of MSU's 34 points in the opening frame, and finished with 17 points for the game on 5-of-8 shooting. He shot a much-improved 3-of-5 from three-point range, and contributed 11 rebounds and 3 assists. It was great to see Hauser have a breakout game with the Spartans really needed one from him.
3. Career-high scoring effort for Gabe Brown
The first half was a rough one for the senior, who scored 6 points on 2-of-9 shooting. Brown caught fire in the second frame however, finished his night with a career-high 24 points after shooting 5-of-8 in the second half. He added 7 rebounds and 2 steals. The senior was the key to the Spartans finally putting High Point away. He's been the leading-scorer throughout the season for MSU, and he came to life with the game very-much in doubt. Izzo expects a better all-around game from his senior, but Brown stepped up when the Spartans were a bit on the ropes.
4. Jaden Akins, Julius Marble replace missing starters
With Christie and Bingham Jr. out with COVID-19, Tom Izzo turned to freshman Jaden Akins and junior Julius Marble for the start against the Panthers. Marble had a solid game, finishing with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, with 5 rebounds and a block. Akins, meanwhile, struggled to make an impact in the starting lineup. The freshman finished with 3 points on 1-of-3 shooting, with 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Akins has played some really good minutes off the bench this season, and its clear that role better suits him for now.
5. Spartans set for Big Ten play
This was the final non-conference game of the season for Michigan State. The Spartans will take their 2-0 Big Ten record into Northwestern on Sunday, before returning home on Jan. 5 for a matchup with Nebraska. Michigan State will then travel to rival Michigan on Jan. 8.
