Spartans' Depth Highlighted in 96-60 Conquering of Niagara
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State men's basketball carried over its dominance from its season opener into Thursday's matchup with Niagara.
The Spartans routed the visiting Eagles, 96-60, an outing led by five double-digit scoring efforts. Junior forward Jaxon Kohler led the way with a career-high 20 points and 13 rebounds. He was followed by freshman guard Jase Richardson, who upped his standout collegiate debut on Monday with a 12-point display, senior forward Frankie Fidler and junior guard Tre Holloman, who each posted 11 points, and senior guard Jaden Akins, who finished with 10.
He added six boards and two assists as well.
Michigan State relied heavily on its bench in this lopsided victory for the home team, as 56 of the Spartans' 96 points came off the bench.
After Fidler opened up the scoring with a mid-range jumper, the Eagles would go on a quick 9-0 run with three consecutive triples, jumping out to a 9-2 lead less than 3 minutes into the contest.
But Michigan State didn't sweat the early deficit, charging back with a run of its own, one that included dunks from Akins and sophomore forward Coen Carr, a converted and-1 from Kohler and another bucket from Akins, who picked up right where he left off in the season opener.
The game was all tied at 11-11 with more than 5 minutes gone in the half.
Shortly after, the Spartans went on a 7-0 run, highlighted by an and-1 conversion from Holloman.
Just before the midway point of the first half, sophomore forward Xavier Booker would earn his first points of the contest with a 3-pointer, the team's first of the game. That stretched the lead to 9 points.
Niagara wasn't doing much to help itself, as it found itself in the bonus with eight fouls with almost 10 minutes still to play before halftime.
With just under 7 minutes left in the half, Holloman would strike again, this time from deep, giving Michigan State a 13-point lead.
Late-half fouls by the Spartans would allow the visitors to get back in the game, cutting the deficit to just 7 points at halftime. They finished the first half with seven 3-pointers on 15 attempts.
That scoring from range would continue for the Purple Eagles as they opened up the second half with yet another triple, trimming the Michigan State lead to just 4 points.
Not long after, the Spartans would lock back in, going on an 11-0 run to give themselves a 14-point lead, their largest of the night until that point.
Niagara kept the deficit manageable for a bit, but a second triple from Holloman would extend the margin to 15. Michigan State was in a groove.
A converted and-1 from Richardson would give the Spartans a 22-point advantage with just over 9 minutes still to play.
The lead only continued to mount for Michigan State, which ultimately finished with a 36-point margin of victory.
Next, Michigan State will face its first true challenge of the season when it heads to Atlanta, Georgia, to face No. 1 Kansas in the State Farms Champions Classic on Tuesday.
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