Tuesday, February 28
Lincoln, Neb.
9 PM
Michigan State University
18-11,10-8Big Ten
80
at
67
Nebraska
15-15,8-11Big Ten
1
2
F
Michigan St.
26
54
80
Nebraska
38
29
67
Photo by: Sarah Smith
Michigan State Uses Big Second Half to Beat Nebraska, 80-67
2/28/2023 11:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Lincoln, Neb. – Michigan State's men's basketball team trailed by as much as 15 points in the first half and was down by 12 at halftime before exploding for 54 points in the second half en route to an 80-67 win over Nebraska on Tuesday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena Tuesday night.
Graduate forward Joey Hauser scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Michigan State, while senior guard Tyson Walker scored 19 points, sophomore guard Jaden Akins added 17 points and junior guard A.J. Hoggard finished with 10 points and a career-high 14 assists.
Records
Michigan State improves to 18-11 overall and 10-8 in the Big Ten Conference, while Nebraska falls to 15-15 overall and 8-11 in league play.
Recap
Michigan State returns back to the Breslin Center on Saturday, March 4, hosting Ohio State on Senior Day. The game will air live on ESPN at noon.
Graduate forward Joey Hauser scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Michigan State, while senior guard Tyson Walker scored 19 points, sophomore guard Jaden Akins added 17 points and junior guard A.J. Hoggard finished with 10 points and a career-high 14 assists.
Records
Michigan State improves to 18-11 overall and 10-8 in the Big Ten Conference, while Nebraska falls to 15-15 overall and 8-11 in league play.
Recap
- Michigan State went into halftime trailing by 12 points (38-26) and the Cornhuskers extended their lead to 14 points, 43-29, on a 3-pointer from Keisei Tominaga just over a minute into the second half.
- The Spartans, however, used a 16-5 run over 3:27 – started by a 3-pointer from Walker and two more from Akins – and pulled to within 48-45 on a 3-pointer from senior forward Malik Hall with 14:57 left.
- Nebraska with a 7-0 burst to push the lead back to 10 points, 55-45, on a 3-pointer from Tominaga at 14:01.
- Aided by the long ball, the Spartans turned the tide over the next six minutes.
- Baskets from Akins, freshman forward Jaxon Kohler and Hoggard triggered a run and Hall, Walker and Hauser each hit shots from long distance as the Spartans turned a 10-point deficit into a 60-56 lead over the span of 6:03.
- The Spartans held Nebraska without a field goal for eight minutes before a layup from Tominaga made it 6-58 with 6:03 left, but that was as close as the Cornhuskers would get.
- Akins and Hauser responded with 3-pointers and Hoggard found junior forward Mady Sissoko for an emphatic dunk, giving MSU a 68-60 lead.
- That was part of a larger 15-3 run over 3:44 as another 3-pointer from Walker pushed the lead to 75-61 with 2:02 to play.
- Akins hit the team's 16th shot from 3-point land with 32 seconds left to seal the win.
- Playing behind a sold-out crowd on Senior Day, Nebraska took an early 8-2 lead, but a pair of 3-pointers from Hauser tied the game at 10-all.
- The Cornhuskers took over from that point, using a 15-2 run to take a 25-12 lead on a 3-pointer from Tominaga.
- Nebraska still led by 15 points, 31-16, after a basket from C.J. Wilcher, but a 3-pointer from Hauser and a jumper from Walker pulled MSU to within 38-26 at the break.
- Michigan State finished the game shooting 45.3 percent from the floor (29-of-64), but shot 67.9 percent in the second half (19-of-28), including 70.6 percent from 3-point land (12-of-17).
- The Spartans hit more 3-pointers (16) than 2-point field goals (13).
- Jaden Akins (5-of-8/4-of-6), Malik Hall (2-of-3/2-of-3), Joey Hauser (4-of-6/3-of-5) and Tyson Walker (4-of-5/3-of-3) combined to shoot 68.2 percent from the field (15-of-22), including 70.6 percent from 3-point land (12-of-17).
- After allowing Nebraska to shoot 57.7 percent from the floor in the first half (15-of-26), the Spartans limited the Cornhuskers to 43.5 percent shooting (10-of-23).
- MSU forced nine turnovers in the second half and scored 15 points off those.
- Michigan State leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 23-9, including a 9-6 mark in games played in Lincoln.
- MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo has a 15-3 record all-time against the Cornhuskers.
- This was just the second time this season the Spartans trailed at the half and came back to win (Portland in November.
- The Spartans hit a season-high 16 shots from 3-point land.
- The 16 made 3-pointers are tied for the second-most in a single game in program history and tied for the second-most in a Big Ten game (the Spartans hit 17 against Rutgers on Jan. 31, 2016 and 17 against Purdue on Feb. 20, 2014).
- It was the most 3-pointers in a game by MSU since hitting 16 on Jan. 4, 2018.
- Michigan State out-rebounded Nebraska (34-27), the 16th time this season controlling the boards (14-2).
- The Spartans grabbed 12 offensive boards and scored 16 second-chance points.
- The Spartans had fewer turnovers than the Cornhuskers (14-10) and MSU is 8-2 when its opponent has more.
- A.J. Hoggard had a double-double with 10 points and a career-high 14 assists.
- Hoggard's 14 assists are the most by an MSU player since Cassius Winston handed out 13 against Savannah State on Dec. 31, 2017.
- Hoggard's 14 dimes are tied for the third-most in a single game in program history, standing alongside Earvin Johnson, who handed out 14 three times.
- This was the third double-double this season for Hoggard and the fifth of his career.
- Hoggard now has 177 assists for the season, passing his career-high of 174 set last year.
- Joey Hauser scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds, leading the team in scoring for the 10th time this season and on the glass for the 14th time.
- He has scored in double figures 25 times this season and 47 times in his career.
- This was his seventh game with at least 20 points this season (10 career) and the fourth time in the last six games he has scored at least 20.
- Hauser tied his career-high in 3-pointers made with six (Western Michigan, Dec. 6, 2020).
- Tyson Walker scored 19 points, his 24th game in double figures this year and the 70th of his career.
- Jaden Akins scored 17 points, his ninth game in double figures and the 11th of his career.
Michigan State returns back to the Breslin Center on Saturday, March 4, hosting Ohio State on Senior Day. The game will air live on ESPN at noon.
Team Stats
MSU
Nebr
FG%
.453
.510
3FG%
.552
.304
FT%
.857
.667
RB
34
27
TO
10
14
STL
5
3
Game Leaders
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
6
FTM
0
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
5
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
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