Spartans Must Bounce Back in Second Game of L.A. Trip

The Michigan State Spartans fell for the first time in conference play, losing to the USC Trojans on the road, Saturday night. They must find a bounce-back victory next Tuesday when they play the UCLA Bruins in game two of the Spartans' West Coast trip.

Feb 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo talks to guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) on the sideline during the first half against the USC Trojans at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images / William Navarro-Imagn Images

The No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (18-3, 9-1) suffered their first Big Ten loss of the season and snapped their 13-game winning streak on Saturday night against the USC Trojans in the first of thier two-game West Coast road trip. They must find a bounce-back win against another very good team.

The Spartans had one of their worst performances of the season against the Trojans, being outplayed and outworked in almost every facet of the game. The only thing to do after an upset like this is to get off the mat and respond with a much better showing against the UCLA Bruins (16-6, 7-4).

It will not be an easy task for the Spartans to avoid back-to-back losses as they are facing a Bruins team that has won five straight games, is 11-1 at home this year and holds an incredible 4-1 record against ranked teams.

UCLA is also the No. 1 defensive team in the Big Ten in several stats. They give up the fewest amount of points (64.5) and force the most turnover per game (16.2). The Spartans will have to play levels better than they did against USC if they want to earn a split on this trip to Los Angeles.

Rebounding is going to be a major key for Michigan State against the Bruins due to how poorly it played in that aspect in its most recent loss. The Trojans gained nine offensive rebounds, 34 points in the paint and took three more shots as the worst rebounding team in the conference by average.

The Spartans will await UCLA's 7-0 sophomore center Aday Mara, who has been playing his best basketball over the past two weeks, averaging 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks in his past four games. Michigan State will have to get a body on him and several others to limit their scoring.

There is no need to panic for the Spartans after losing just one game since before Thanksgiving. The winning streak may be over, but starting anew and continuing to dominate the conference is still the main objective. This team has a lot of talent and the ability to earn the bounce-back win on the road.

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.