Post Game Notes: Binghamton
12/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Michigan State improved to 9-0 for the third-best start in school history, tying the 1917 team ... It is also the Spartans' second-best start under head coach Tom Izzo behind the 2000-01 season when MSU opened 12-0.
Saturday was the first-ever meeting between MSU and Binghamton.
MSU's defense limited Binghamton to 33 points, which tied for the second-lowest defensive effort in the Izzo era, behind 29 vs. Northwestern (1/27/00), while tying Toledo (11/22/99) and Illinois-Chicago (12/13/98) ... The 33 points was Binghamton's season low as the Bearcats entered Saturday with a 64.5 points per game average.
Binghamton 12 first-half points were the fewest by a Spartan opponent in a first half since Rider scored 11 on 11/27/14.
Senior guard Denzel Valentine logged his third double-double of the season and 10th of his career with 13 points and 12 rebounds ... It was Valentine's 58th-career double-figure scoring game, as well as his 12th double-figure rebounding outing.
MSU is now 4-0 this season when Valentine leads the team in rebounding and the Spartans are 19-6 in his four-year career when he's the top rebounder.
Senior guard Bryn Forbes netted a game-high 14 points, marking the fourth time in his MSU career that he has led the Spartans in scoring, as they improved to 3-1.
Freshman forward Deyonta Davis snared 11 rebounds Saturday to tie for his career-high (FAU, 11/13/15) and posted his second double-figure rebounding game.
Junior guard Eron Harris was the third Spartan in double-figures with 11 points, his second double-figure scoring game in the last three games and his third of the season.
The 53 rebounds was the Spartans' second-highest of the season behind 56 against Eastern Michigan (11/23/15).
Michigan State scored off the opening tip without dribbling, needing just four seconds to net the game's first points, which were the only four seconds the game was tied, as the Spartans led the remaining 39:56 of the contest.
MSU's defense limited Binghamton's leading scorer and rebounder Willie Rodriguez to six points and three rebounds, as he entered Saturday leading BU with 17.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
