Michigan State Vs. Bucknell Postgame Notes
11/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 21, 2003
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Michigan State vs. Bucknell Breslin Center - East Lansing, Mich. November 21, 2003
MSU Game Notes
Attendance: 14,759. Tonight's game marked the 84th-consecutive sellout in the Breslin Center. MSU is 74-4 in its last 78 regular-season games in the Breslin Center.
Michigan State has now won its last 27 consecutive season openers. MSU has not lost a season opener since an 81-76 loss to Central Michigan Nov. 29, 1976. The Spartans are 84-21 all-time in openers.
Michigan State is now 87-18 all-time in home openers. The Spartans last lost a home opener on Dec. 4, 1976, falling to Western Michigan, 74-73. Overall, the Spartans are 73-11 in season openers at home. The Spartans last lost a season opener at home Dec. 1, 1970, to Northern Illinois, 76-75.
Michigan State is now 56-16 in games played in November, including a 39-3 mark at home.
Four players made their Michigan State debuts tonight. Shannon Brown, Brandon Cotton, Drew Naymick and Delco Rowley all appeared in their first games as Spartans.
It took Michigan State just four seconds to score its first basket of the season. Paul Davis won the opening tip to Jason Andreas, who passed to Chris Hill, who fed Kelvin Torbert for an alley-oop dunk. Torbert was fouled on the play and converted the three-point play.
After taking a 43-39 lead at the 15:45 mark of the second half, Bucknell was held to just nine points during the remainder of the game. MSU outscored the Bison, 25-9, over the final 15:45.
Paul Davis led MSU with 21 points, tying a career high set Feb. 8, 2003, at Indiana. It was the 13th double-figure scoring game of Davis' career. Davis also had a team-best eight rebounds, which is one shy of his career high.
Chris Hill had 12 points, including a pair of three-point baskets. Hill has made at least one three-pointer in 64 of 67 career games.
Maurice Ager established a new career high with six rebounds. Ager's previous career high was five rebounds, which he accomplished three times.
