Michigan State University
4-1
UCLA
4-1
No. 11 Michigan State Handles No. 17 UCLA, 87-67
11/23/2018 12:45:00 AM | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS – Junior guard Cassius Winston (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) scored 19 points to lead four players in double figures as No. 11 Michigan State opened up a 25-point halftime lead en route to an 87-67 win over UCLA on Thursday night in one of two semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational at Orleans Arena.
The Spartans, winners of four-straight games and 4-1 overall, advance to play in the championship game on Friday, Nov. 23 against Texas. The game will air live on FOX at 6:30 p.m. (ET).
Records
Michigan State wins its fourth-straight game and improves to 4-1 overall, while UCLA falls to 4-1.
Summary
- Leading by 25 points, 51-26, at the break, a basket from redshirt senior Kenny Goins (Troy, Mich./Warren Mott) extended the MSU lead to 53-26 and the Spartans still led 57-34 after a layup from Winston at the 15:42 mark.
- UCLA out-scored MSU, 10-4, and pulled to within 17 points, 61-44, after free throws from Chris Smith with 12:12 to play in the game, but would get no closer until the final minutes of the game.
- A 3-pointer from senior guard Matt McQuaid (Duncanville, Texas/Duncanville) pushed the lead back to 27 points, 79-52, with 5:32 to play, and a jumper from junior guard Joshua Langford (Huntsville, Ala./Madison Academy) made it 81-54 with 4:27 to play.
- MSU opened up a 25-point halftime lead, 51-26, thanks to hot shooting, as the Spartans connected on 60.0 percent of their first half shots (18-of-30), including 58.8 percent from 3-point land (10-of-17).
- The Spartans jumped out to a quick 9-3 lead after six points from junior forward Nick Ward (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) and a 3-pointer from Winston.
- UCLA cut the lead to 9-7 after a layup from Cody Rile at the 15:55 mark, but a 12-0 run over 4:10, capped by a Winston jumper, gave MSU a 21-7 lead.
- The Spartans would take their biggest lead, 51-22, on a jumper from Winston with 1:49 to go in the half.
- The Spartans put four players in double figures – Winston led the way with 91 points and seven assists, while Ward had 16 points and five rebounds, Langford finished with 14 points and two rebounds and McQuaid added 11 points, three rebounds and two assists. Goins scored six points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
- MSU connected on 60.0 percent of its first half field goals (18-of-30), including 58.8 percent of its 3-pointers (10-of17).
- The Spartans finished the game shooting 51.6 percent from the floor (32-of-62), including 54.2 percent from 3-point land (13-of-24).
- MSU handed out 20 assists on 32 field goals (62.5 percent).
- The Spartans held a 37-33 advantage on the glass and out-scored UCLA, 29-20, in the paint.
- This is the fifth time in the last six years that MSU has advanced to the championship game of a preseason tournament … The Spartans won the 2013 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Brooklyn, the 2015 Wooden Legacy in California and the 2018 PK80 Victory Bracket Championship.
- Nick Ward scored 16 points and now has 997 for his career. He needs three more points to become the 50th player in MSU history to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career.
- Kenny Goins grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. This was his third game this season with at least 10 rebounds.
Up Next
Michigan State plays for the championship of the Las Vegas Invitational on Friday, Nov. 23 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. (ET), and the game will air live on FOX, with Tim Brando calling the play-by-play, Bill Raftery serving as the color analyst and Andy Katz on sidelines.
