Goins, Ward Lead Michigan State Past Iowa, 90-68

East Lansing, Mich. – Redshirt senior Kenny Goins (Troy, Mich./Warren Mott) scored a career-high 19 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and handed out seven assists and junior forward Nick Ward (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) had a career-high 26 points as No. 10 Michigan State used a big second half en route to an 88-63 win over No. 18 Iowa at the Breslin Center on Monday night.

Records
Michigan State, winners of seven of the last eight games, improves to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten, while Iowa falls to 6-2 overall and 0-2 in league play.

Summary

Michigan State led by 10 points, 43-33, at halftime, but used a decisive effort on the defensive end – holding Iowa to just three points over the opening 9:49 of the second half as the Hawkeyes hit only one of their first 20 shots from the field – and the Spartans extended their lead to 66-36 on free throws from sophomore forward Xavier Tillman (Grand Rapids, Mich./GR Christian) with 10:20 to play in the game.
MSU scored the first nine points of the second half and took a 52-33 lead on a jumper from Goins at the 16:40 mark.
After a 3-pointer from Iowa's Jordan Bohannon made it 52-36, the Spartans scored 14-straight points and extended its lead to 30 points on Tillman's free throws.
The Spartans took their biggest lead of the game, 74-41, on a dunk from Ward with 8:35 to play in the game.
Michigan State seized a 10-point lead at the break, 43-33, thanks in large part to 26 points in the paint, including 15 from Ward.
Iowa had jumped out to a quick six-point lead, 13-7, on a jumper from Isaiah Moss at the 16:24 mark, but the Spartans tied the game at 15-all on a dunk from Ward at 13:16.
The teams traded the lead back and forth and Iowa led 19-17 on a layup from Nicholas Baer before MSU tied the game on a Ward layup and took the lead for good on a layup from Tillman.
MSU led 24-23 with 7:52 to play in the half before a 9-2 burst, capped by a 3-pointer from junior guard Cassius Winston (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit), pushed the lead to seven points, 33-26, forcing Iowa to call a timeout.
Winston hit a pair of free throws with 58 seconds left to make it 43-32 and MSU settled for the 10-point cushion at the break.

Key Stats

The Spartans had four players in double figure scoring, with Goins and Ward leading the way. Tillman finished with a career-high 14 points, eight rebounds and a career-best four blocks, while junior forward Joshua Langford (Huntsville, Ala./Madison Academy) added 14 points and five assists. Winston finished with eight points and 12 assists.
Michigan State shot 51.7 percent from the floor, including 55.6 percent in the second half (15-of-27). The Spartans connected on 58.3 percent of their 2-point baskets (28-of-48).
MSU scored 48 points in the paint
The Spartans handed out 28 assists on 31 field goals. In the first half, MSU handed out 15 assists on 16 made shots.
The Spartans out-rebounded Iowa, 44-37.
Michigan State committed only eight turnovers, including two in the first half.

Notes

Michigan State now leads the all-time series with Iowa, 74-55, including a 45-18 mark at the Breslin Center. MSU has won 12 of the last 14 and 17 of the last 19 overall.
Goins scored a career-high 19 points and had his second double-double of his career.
This was the sixth time this season Goins has led the team in rebounding and it was his fifth game this season with at least 10 rebounds and the sixth of his career.
Goins led MSU in rebounding for the 13th time in his career.
Ward scored in double figures for the sixth time this season and the 51st game of his career.
In going 10-of-10 from the field, Ward is the first MSU player to connect on at least 10 shots from the field without a miss since Alan Anderson Feb. 24, 2005 against Wisconsin (also 10-of-10).
Winston handed out at least 10 assists for the 10th time in his career and it was his third game this season with double figure assists. This was the 59th time in his career leading MSU in assists.
Langford scored in double figures for the ninth time this season and the 34th time in his career.
Michigan State handed out at least 20 assists for the fourth time this season. The team's 28 assists are the second
The Spartans connected on at least 50 percent of their field goals for the fifth time this season.
This was the third game this season Michigan State scored at least 90 points.

Up Next
After playing five games in 11 days, Michigan State is off until Saturday, Dec. 8, traveling to play at Florida. Tipoff is slated for noon on CBS, with Carter Blackburn and Bill Raftery calling all of the action.

Next Event

Team Stats

Nick Ward

Kenny Goins

Joshua Langford

Xavier Tillman Sr.

Players Mentioned

Kenny Goins

Joshua Langford

Xavier Tillman Sr.

Nick Ward

Cassius Winston

Players Mentioned

Kenny Goins

Joshua Langford

Xavier Tillman Sr.

Nick Ward

Cassius Winston