Sunday, December 8
East Lansing, Mich.
7 p.m.
Michigan State University
6-3,1-0Big Ten
77
vs
65
Rutgers
6-3,0-1Big Ten
1
2
F
Rutgers
28
37
65
Michigan St.
33
44
77
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
Winston Leads Four in Double Figures, Michigan State Beats Rutgers, 77-65
12/8/2019 10:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
East Lansing, Mich. – Senior guard Cassius Winston (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) scored 23 points and handed out seven assists to lead four players in double figures as No. 11 Michigan State hung on to beat Rutgers, 77-65, in the Big Ten Conference opener for both schools on Sunday night at the Breslin Center.
Junior forward Xavier Tillman (Grand Rapids, Mich./GR Christian) scored 14 points, grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and had three assists, while sophomore forward Gabe Brown (Ypsilanti, Mich./Belleville) had 14 points and six rebounds and sophomore forward Aaron Henry (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) chipped in with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Summary
Key Stats
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Up Next
Michigan State returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 14, visiting Oakland at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The game will air live on ESPN2 and tips off at noon.
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Junior forward Xavier Tillman (Grand Rapids, Mich./GR Christian) scored 14 points, grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and had three assists, while sophomore forward Gabe Brown (Ypsilanti, Mich./Belleville) had 14 points and six rebounds and sophomore forward Aaron Henry (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) chipped in with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Summary
- Michigan State led at the break by five points (33-28), took an 11-point lead (43-32) early in the second half before Rutgers pulled to within one point (43-42) and used a late run to close out the Scarlet Knights.
- MSU had a 33-28 lead at the break and did not score over the first two-plus minutes of the half, but used a 10-0 burst over a span of 3:40 and took its biggest lead, 43-32, on back-to-back 3-pointers from redshirt senior Kyle Ahrens (Versailles, Ohio/Versailles) and Winston.
- Rutgers, however, used a 10-0 run and pulled to within 43-42 on free throws from Akwasi Yeboah at the 10:55 mark.
- MSU went scoreless for more than three minutes before a jumper at the 10:33 mark gave the Spartans a 45-40 lead.
- The Spartans jumped out to a quick 11-4 lead and forced Rutgers to call a timeout after a layup from sophomore forward Thomas Kithier (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) at the 15:39 mark.
- Rutgers pulled to within 14-11 on a basket from Yeboah at the 12:49 mark, but the Spartans used an 8-2 run and took their biggest lead of the half, 22-13, on a 3-pointer from sophomore forward Aaron Henry (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) with 8;49 to play.
- MSU still led 27-21 after a 3-pointer from Brown, but Rutgers scored seven-straight points and took a 28-27 lead on a 3-pointer from Yeboah.
- The Spartans scored the final six points of the half over the remaining 2:13 to take a five-point lead (33-28) into the break.
Key Stats
- After shooting only 35.5 percent in the first half (11-of-31), MSU connected on 52.2 percent of its second half shots (12-of-23).
- Winston scored 13 of his game-high 21 points in the second half.
- Brown, Henry and Winston combined to hit 20-of-22 free throws, including 13-of-14 in the second half.
- The Spartans held a 40-32 advantage on the boards.
- MSU scored 15 points off the fast break.
- Michigan State improved to 10-0 all-time against Rutgers.Â
- The Spartans have won all nine games since the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten Conference.
- Cassius Winston had his 78th career game scoring in double figures.
- This was Winston's fifth game this season with at least 20 points and his 28th career game with at least 20 points.
- Winston's 23 points give him 1,571 for his career, moving him past Maurice Ager (2002-06) for 14th on the all-time MSU scoring list …. He needs 18 points to pass Morris Peterson (1995-2000) for 13th place.
- Winston has led MSU in scoring six times this season.
- Winston's handed out seven assists, his fifth game this season with at least seven.
- He now has 770 career assists and needs 47 to pass Mateen Cleaves for the all-time lead at MSU.
- Junior forward Xavier Tillman scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds for his third double-double this season and the eighth of his career.
- Tillman has led MSU in rebounding in all nine games this season.
- Tillman has scored in double figures six times this season and 26 times in his career.
- It was his fifth game with at least 10 rebounds this year and his 13th career.
- Henry scored in double figures for the fourth time this season and the eighth time in his career.
- Henry connected on a career-high seven free throws.
- Brown scored in double figures for the second time this season and the fourth of his career.
- Brown played a career-high 33 minutes.
- Brown hit a career-high eight free throws.
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Up Next
Michigan State returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 14, visiting Oakland at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The game will air live on ESPN2 and tips off at noon.
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Team Stats
RU
MSU
FG%
.400
.436
3FG%
.286
.333
FT%
.684
.815
RB
32
40
TO
11
12
STL
3
8
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
14
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
8
Pts
12
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
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