Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Grand Valley State (Exhibition)
Men's Basketball Defeats Grand Valley State In Exhibition Opener
11/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Shannon Brown started the game and the scoring, but Michigan State forgot how to finish an exhibition basketball tuneup.
Brown and Maurice Ager combined for 31 points and the Spartans used a blazing start to beat Division II Grand Valley State 77-62 Wednesday.
"We did some good things. We did some bad things," Brown said after leading all scorers with 16 points and contributing four assists, three steals and two blocked shots. "We've got to improve on the bad things and keep working on the good things. But I don't think we rebounded well. And we have to learn to keep playing."
The Lakers might have taught them a lesson, outscoring the Spartans 41-33 in the second half and outrebounding them 36-33 for the night.
"I guess you have to look at it as two halves," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "We played pretty well defensively. But in the second half, we didn't rebound very well and didn't shoot the ball very well. We played like a team that had a 25-point lead. To Grand Valley's credit, they didn't play that way."
The Spartans, picked to finish second in the Big Ten behind Illinois, took a 21-2 lead in the first 10 minutes, then traded baskets with a variety of inconsistent lineups.
"Kelvin Torbert might have played the best, if you look at mistakes and things," Izzo said of a senior who came off the bench for a team with rotating starters. "(The lineup) will change on Sunday (against Michigan Tech). I'm concerned that one or two guys don't start as well as they play off the bench."
Michigan State had 10 players score in the first 20 minutes and built a 44-21 lead. That dominance disappeared after halftime, as the Lakers outshot the Spartans .500 to .348 from the field in the last 20 minutes and more than held their own.
"It was a great experience for our guys," Grand Valley State's Ric Wesley said after his head coaching debut. "Several of our kids grew up watching Michigan State basketball and dreamed of playing for the Green and White. To play here tonight was special for us and something we can build on."
The Spartans, 18-12 last season after a first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament, showed flashes of early dominance with aggressive defense and long-range shooting. But the Lakers kept competing and cut the deficit to 69-54 before Ager and Brown had back-to-back dunks.
Grand Valley State, 14-13 last season, got 10 points from Jason Jamerson and a game-high 12 rebounds from Callistus Eziukwu. The Lakers' biggest problem was committing 24 turnovers against varying degrees of pressure.
Michigan State's big advantages were its 8-for-15 accuracy from 3-point range and a 27-14 edge in free throws. But the Spartans made more than enough first-game mistakes to keep any coaching staff busy.
