Michigan State University
Ferris State
Spartans Cruise Past Ferris State, 93-57, in Final Exhibition
11/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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EAST LANSING, Mich - Michigan State defeated the 2015 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament Champion Ferris State, 93-57, in the second of two exhibition matchups to start the 2015-16 season.
"I liked the way Ferris played," said head coach Tom Izzo. "It was a good game for us. I told you on media day that the one negative about this team is they have shooters. What are shooters notorious for? Not guarding anybody. They lived up to it tonight. We just did not guard."
MSU combined for a 56.5 field goal percentage, including 42.9 percent from beyond the arc, as 13-of-15 Spartans scored in the contest.
Senior Bryn Forbes led Michigan State's scoring charge for the second-straight exhibition, shooting 4-for-7 from 3-point range and scoring a game-high 16 points. Senior Denzel Valentine followed suit, tallying 15 points to go alongside his seven assists and seven rebounds. Junior Gavin Schilling shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, adding 12 points and five rebounds to the Spartan stat sheet.
"Staying out of foul trouble is something those bigs have to do, but I think Gavin [Schilling] has been very efficient and rebounded pretty well," said Izzo. "He ran the court pretty well and made a couple of plays in there, so he's playing better. He's been one of the bright spots from Italy until now."
Freshman Matt McQuaid dished out a game-high eight assists without turning the ball over. McQuaid knocked down 2-of-4 from distance on his way to nine points. His 22 minutes played paced all MSU freshman in the outing.
The Spartans were efficient on the offensive end of the court, making the extra pass to combine for 29 assists on 35 made baskets. Twenty of Michigan State's total came in transition, while the Spartans dominated the paint, outscoring the Bulldogs 50-14 near the rim.
The coaching staff altered the starting lineup in the final tuneup before Friday's home opener, giving senior Colby Wollenman and redshirt junior Eron Harris the start alongside senior Matt Costello, sophomore Tum Tum Nairn Jr. and Valentine.
"There will be some moves, and the playing groups are going to shrink a little bit determined by the players, not by the coach, and that's what these games and the next couple of practices are for," Izzo said.
"We're just thankful for Coach Izzo giving us this opportunity," said Ferris State head coach Andy Bronkema. "This helps us out in a lot of ways - financially, recruiting wise. When you get to play on the big stage like this, it affects your program in so many ways. We're overall just very thankful."
The Spartans combined for 187 points in their first two exhibition matchups. The 2015-16 regular season tips off on Friday, Nov. 13, against Florida Atlantic at 7 p.m. in the Breslin Center.
