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Entering Tuesday night’s game, the Michigan State Spartans had won their past three Big Ten road games by a combined 12 points. The narrative changed against a reeling Gophers team without three key starters. The No. 2 Michigan State Spartans (25-3, 13-2 Big Ten) rolled past Minnesota (14-14, 3-12 Big Ten) for an 87-57 win. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Spartans with 27 points as Michigan State shot 64 percent (14-for-22) from the three-point line. The Gophers dropped their eighth consecutive Big Ten game.
Michigan State had 14 field goals in the first half, ten of which were three pointers. The game was quickly out of reach as the Spartans drilled seven three-pointers within the first eight minutes of the game, including three by Cassius Winston. Twenty-four of the Spartans’ first 30 points were the result of made three-pointers. Six-foot-11 freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. had five made shots from behind the arch. Michigan State dominated every phase of the game, including the glass. They won the rebounding battle 49-23, allowing Michigan State to convert 17 second chance points. The Spartans imposed their will with post moves down low and had so much success behind the arc.
On offense, the Gophers had multiple possessions where they took a contested jumper late in the shot clock. Minnesota struggled to move offensively and had no answer for the length of Michigan State down low. The Spartans can matchup with any team in the country because of their length and three-point shooting ability. They can pound the basketball into the post or reverse the ball off inside-out action for a wide-open jumper. The Spartans share the basketball well as they tallied 27 assists on 32 made shot attempts. Michigan State will certainly be a team many college basketball fans select to advance into the late stages of the NCAA tournament.
Minnesota continues to invest in their young players with three games remaining in the conference schedule. Isaiah Washington had a team-high 18 points and three assists, while playing 35 minutes. It is clear the Gophers are prioritizing the need to develop Washington as senior Nate Mason graduates this year.
The Gophers will travel to Wisconsin for a matchup with the struggling Badgers on Monday night. It’s a chance to snap an eight-game losing streak dating back to mid-January. A win would be small consolation prize for a season marked with disappointment for Gophers fans.
Postgame Reaction:
Michigan State had 14 field goals in the first half, ten of which were three pointers. The game was quickly out of reach as the Spartans drilled seven three-pointers within the first eight minutes of the game, including three by Cassius Winston. Twenty-four of the Spartans’ first 30 points were the result of made three-pointers. Six-foot-11 freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. had five made shots from behind the arch. Michigan State dominated every phase of the game, including the glass. They won the rebounding battle 49-23, allowing Michigan State to convert 17 second chance points. The Spartans imposed their will with post moves down low and had so much success behind the arc.
On offense, the Gophers had multiple possessions where they took a contested jumper late in the shot clock. Minnesota struggled to move offensively and had no answer for the length of Michigan State down low. The Spartans can matchup with any team in the country because of their length and three-point shooting ability. They can pound the basketball into the post or reverse the ball off inside-out action for a wide-open jumper. The Spartans share the basketball well as they tallied 27 assists on 32 made shot attempts. Michigan State will certainly be a team many college basketball fans select to advance into the late stages of the NCAA tournament.
Minnesota continues to invest in their young players with three games remaining in the conference schedule. Isaiah Washington had a team-high 18 points and three assists, while playing 35 minutes. It is clear the Gophers are prioritizing the need to develop Washington as senior Nate Mason graduates this year.
The Gophers will travel to Wisconsin for a matchup with the struggling Badgers on Monday night. It’s a chance to snap an eight-game losing streak dating back to mid-January. A win would be small consolation prize for a season marked with disappointment for Gophers fans.
Postgame Reaction: