Saturday, December 4
East Lansing, Mich.
5 p.m. ET
Michigan State University
7-2,0-0Big Ten
81
vs
68
Toledo
6-2,0-0MAC
1
2
F
Toledo
23
45
68
Michigan St.
43
38
81
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
No. 22 Michigan State Uses Big First Half to Beat Toledo, 81-68
12/4/2021 7:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball
East Lansing, Mich. – Freshman guard Max Christie (Arlington Heights, Ill./Rolling Meadows) scored 14 points to lead five players in double figures and No. 22 Michigan State opened up a 20-point halftime lead before settling for a 72-59 win over Toledo on Saturday evening at the Breslin Center.
Senior forward Gabe Brown (Ypsilanti, Mich./Belleville) added 12 points, three rebounds and three assists, while senior forward Marcus Bingham Jr. (Grand Rapids, Mich./GR Catholic Central) added 10 points and five rebounds, sophomore guard A.J. Hoggard (Coatesville, Pa./Huntington Prep [W.Va.]) finished with 10 points, four rebounds and four assists and junior guard Tyson Walker (Westbury, N.Y./Christ the King/Northeastern) had 11 points, six assists and two steals.
Recap
- Michigan State led by as much as 26 points in the first half and were up by 18 (43-25) at the break, but Toledo would not go quietly.
- After the Rockets pulled to within nine points, 64-55, with 6:19 to play in the game, the Spartans scored six-straight points, a pair of baskets from junior forward Julius Marble (Dallas, Texas/Dallas Jesuit) and capped by a pair of Christie free throws with 4:30 to play.
- The lead was down to 11 points again, but Michigan State hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final minute and Walker hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left as the Spartans closed out the win.
- Toledo had jumped out to an early lead, taking a 10-7 lead after a conventional three-point play from Jacobi Kooper.
- A 8-0 burst over a span of 2:18 with back-to-back 3-pointers from Akins and Bingham and a steal and layup from Hoggard gave MSU a 15-10 lead.
- After trailing for most of the first five minutes of the game, the Spartans used an 8-0 run to take a 15-10 lead.
- Toledo's Setric Millner Jr. hit a layup to cut the lead to 15-12, but MSU responded with a 25-3 run over a span of 6:55, taking a 40-15 lead on a 3-pointer from Walker with 2:31 to play.
- Freshman guard Jaden Akins (Farmington, Mich./Farmington Hills/Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.]) hit the last of MSU's nine first half 3-pointers to give the Spartans a 43-17 lead with 1:14 left before going into the half up 43-25.
- Michigan State connected on a season-high 12 3-pointers and shot 46.2 percent from outside the arc (12-of-26), including 52.9 percent in the first half (9-of-17).
- The Spartans committed 12 turnovers, but eight came in the second half.
- MSU connected on 81.0 percent of its free throws (17-of-21).
- Michigan State received 29 points from its bench.
Notes
- The win was the 650th in his career for Head Coach Tom Izzo.
- This was the first time Michigan State has had five players in double figures (Christie, Brown, Walker, Hoggard, Bingham Jr.) since the Dec. 1, 2020 game against Duke.
- It was also the first time Michigan State has attempted 25 or more 3-pointers since Feb 2, 2021 when it attempted 29 against Ohio State.
- Michigan State had a 43-40 advantage on the boards; the sixth time this season out-rebounding their opponent.
- The Spartans handed out 22 assists, the second-straight game with at least 20.
- MSU blocked 10 shots, the third time this season with at least 10.
- The Spartans out-scored Toledo 29-6 in bench points; it was the sixth time this season MSU had more bench points than its opponent and the seventh time with at least 20 points.
- Gabe Brown has finished in double figures in eight of MSU's nine games this season.
- Julius Marble II matched his season and career-high in blocked shots with two.
- Marcus Bingham Jr. drilled his first 3-pointer of the season and his first since Jan. 23, 2020 against Indiana.
- A.J. Hoggard finished in double figures for the second time this season, going 4-of-5 from the field and 2-of-4 from the charity stripe.
- Max Christie has scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the second time this season (11 against Louisville and 14 against Toledo. It's the second time he has led the Spartans in scoring this season.
- Jaden Akins hit a season-best three 3-pointers and hauled in a season-best seven rebounds in nearly 24 minutes of action.
- Tyson Walker scored in double figures for the first time this season, finishing with 11 points.
Up Next
Michigan State opens up Big Ten Conference play on Wednesday, Dec. 9, visiting Minnesota. The game will air live on BTN (9 p.m.).
Team Stats
UT
MSU
FG%
.354
.400
3FG%
.167
.462
FT%
.900
.810
RB
40
43
TO
12
12
STL
7
6
Game Leaders
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
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