
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell
Walker Leads Four in Double Figures as Michigan State Pulls Away from Indiana State, 87-75
12/30/2023 4:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
East Lansing, Mich. – Graduate guard Tyson Walker scored 22 points to lead four players in double figures as Michigan State's men's basketball team used a big run in the second half to pull away from Indiana State, 87-75, on Saturday afternoon at the Breslin Center.
Walker scored 22 points, including a 10-of-10 performance from the free throw line, and added five assists while graduate forward Malik Hall added 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists, senior guard A.J. Hoggard finished with 17 points and four assists and junior guard Jaden Akins added 13 points and four rebounds. Senior forward Mady Sissoko scored six points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
Records
Michigan State, winners of four-straight games, improves to 8-5 overall, while Indiana State falls to 11-2 overall.
Recap
Michigan State plays its first game of the 2024 calendar year on Thursday, Jan. 4, returning to Big Ten Conference action with Penn State visiting the Breslin Center (Peacock, 7 p.m.)
Walker scored 22 points, including a 10-of-10 performance from the free throw line, and added five assists while graduate forward Malik Hall added 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists, senior guard A.J. Hoggard finished with 17 points and four assists and junior guard Jaden Akins added 13 points and four rebounds. Senior forward Mady Sissoko scored six points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
Records
Michigan State, winners of four-straight games, improves to 8-5 overall, while Indiana State falls to 11-2 overall.
Recap
- After holding a 10-point lead at halftime (44-34), the Spartans faced a 5-point deficit, 64-59, after Indiana State's Isaiah Swope hit a 3-pointer and followed with a jumper at the 10:38 mark of the second half.
- The Spartans responded with seven-straight points over 1:36, starting with a put-back layup from Akins at 10:07 and fishing with a conventional 3-point play from Hoggard at 8:31 to give MSU a 66-64 lead.
- A basket from Indiana State's Jayson Kent tied the game at 66-all but a 9-2 burst from the Spartans capped by a Walker layup, gave MSU a 75-68 lead with 4:44 to play, forcing ISU to call a timeout.
- Hoggard fed Hall for a dunk with 3:37 to play, capping a 20-6 run over 7:01 to give the Spartans a 79-70 lead.
- Hall hit two more free throws with 2:54 left and Sissoko added another to extend the lead to 82-70.
- A free throw from Sissoko with 36 seconds left gave the Spartans their biggest lead, 87-74.
- The Spartans had a 10-point lead at the break but a 15-5 run by Indiana State tied the game at 49-all five minutes into the second half and from there it was back and forth, with six ties and four lead changes, before MSU went on its run to take the lead for good late in the second half.
- Michigan State went into the break with a 44-34 lead, with Walker leading the way with 10 points.
- A 3-pointer from Indiana State's Swope cut the Spartans lead to 39-34 with 2:59 left, but MSU scored the final five points of the break, pushing the lead to 10 points on free throws from Hoggard and a 3-pointer from Walker with 23 seconds left.
- The teams went back and forth over the opening 10 minutes with three ties and a pair of lead changes.
- The Spartans led by just two points, 19-17, after a 3-pointer from Xavier Bledson, but MSU went on a 7-0 run, taking a 26-17 lead on a 3-pointer from Walker with 9:11 to play before the half.
- Michigan State led the rest of the way, using the late run to take a 44-34 lead.
- Michigan State shot 47.5 percent from the floor (29-of-61), including 52.0 percent in the second half (13-of-25).
- The Spartans connected on 85.2 percent of their free throws (23-of-27), including 84.2 percent in the second half (16-of-19) and Walker going 10-of-10.
- MSU out-rebounded Indiana State, 41-27, and collected 15 offensive rebounds.
- The Spartans out-scored Indiana State 46-20 in the paint and had a 21-9 edge in second-chance points.
- MSU forced 14 turnovers and scored 20 points off Sycamore turnovers.
- Michigan State leads the all-time series with Indiana State, 2-0.
- Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo won the 695th game of his career.
- Michigan State closed out the month of December with a 4-2 record and four-straight wins.
- The Spartans are now 7-2 at the Breslin Center this year.
- MSU is 8-1 when leading at the half.
- The Spartans are 8-0 when out-shooting their opponent (47.5% to 43.9%).
- MSU is 7-0 when controlling the boards (41-27).
- Michigan State is 8-2 when scoring at least 70 points and 5-0 when scoring at least 80.
- Tyson Walker scored 22 points, his 10th game in double figures this year and the 84th of his career.
- Walker has scored at least 20 points in six different games and has led MSU in scoring eight times.
- Walker now has 1,040 career points at MSU and moved past Garry Harris (No. 52) and Kevin Smith for 51st on the all-time scoring list … He needs 15 points to pass Marcus Sanders for 50th and 16 to pass Miles Bridges for 49th place.
- Walker has scored 1,720 points in 132 career games (13.0 ppg).
- He also tied for the team lead in assists with five, his fourth time leading the team this season and tying a season-high for him.
- A.J. Hoggard scored 17 points, his 10th game in double figures this year and the 44th of his career.
- He has led the team in assists eight times this season and 59 times in his career.
- He tied his season-high of 34 minutes played.
- Hoggard now has 900 career points at Michigan State.
- Malik Hall scored 18 points while adding eight rebounds and tying for a team-best five assists.
- He has scored in double figures six time this season and 39 times in his career.
- Hall now has 936 career points at Michigan State.
- He led the team in assists for the second time this season and the seventh of his career.
- Mady Sissoko grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, tying a career high.
- His 12 rebounds marked the third game this season with at least 10 and the eighth of his career.
- He has led MSU in rebounding six times this season and 19 times in his career.
- Jaden Akins scored 13 points, his third-straight game in double figures, the ninth this season and the 23rd of his career.
Michigan State plays its first game of the 2024 calendar year on Thursday, Jan. 4, returning to Big Ten Conference action with Penn State visiting the Breslin Center (Peacock, 7 p.m.)
Team Stats
INS
MSU
FG%
.439
.475
3FG%
.400
.353
FT%
.647
.852
RB
27
41
TO
14
12
STL
9
7
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
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