Saturday, December 7
East Lansing, Mich.
12 PM
Michigan State University
8-2,2-0Big Ten
89
vs
52
Nebraska
6-2,0-1Big Ten
1
2
F
Nebraska
31
21
52
Michigan St.
41
48
89
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
Big Second Half Leads Michigan State Past Nebraska, 89-52, in Big Ten Home Opener
12/7/2024 2:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Senior guard Jaden Akins scored 18 points and freshman guard Jase Richardson added 16 points as Michigan State's men's basketball team used a big second half en route to an 89-52 win over Nebraska on Saturday afternoon at the Breslin Center.
Akins hit 5-of-10 shots from the floor, including 4-of-8 from 3-point land to lead the way for MSU as 10 different players scored and the Spartans received 43 points from their bench.
Sophomore forward Xavier Booker added 11 points and six rebounds off the bench, junior forward Jaxon Kohler had 8 points and a game-high 12 rebounds and redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. added 6 points and a game-high 8 assists.
The 37-point margin of victory is tied for the second-largest in a Big Ten game in Michigan State history and is the largest margin of victory in a league game since an 86-49 win over Penn State on Feb. 2, 2008 at the Breslin Center.
Records
Michigan State improves to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten Conference, while Nebraska falls to 6-2 overall and 0-1 in league play.
Recap
Michigan State takes a 10-day break and returns to play on Tuesday, Dec. 17, playing in-state rival Oakland at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit (7 p.m., ESPN2).
Akins hit 5-of-10 shots from the floor, including 4-of-8 from 3-point land to lead the way for MSU as 10 different players scored and the Spartans received 43 points from their bench.
Sophomore forward Xavier Booker added 11 points and six rebounds off the bench, junior forward Jaxon Kohler had 8 points and a game-high 12 rebounds and redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. added 6 points and a game-high 8 assists.
The 37-point margin of victory is tied for the second-largest in a Big Ten game in Michigan State history and is the largest margin of victory in a league game since an 86-49 win over Penn State on Feb. 2, 2008 at the Breslin Center.
Records
Michigan State improves to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten Conference, while Nebraska falls to 6-2 overall and 0-1 in league play.
Recap
- Michigan State led by as much as 15 points in the first half and opened the second half with a 10-point lead, 41-31.
- Nebraska's Rollie Worster hit a layup with 18:37 to play making it 43-33 before the Spartans to go on a 25-1 run over a span of 7:39 and took a 68-34 lead on a 3-pointer from Booker at the 10:14 mark.
- A 3-pointer from Akins at 17:53 triggered the run as MSU reeled off 10-straight points, taking a 53-33 lead when the senior co-captain hit another trey at 14:26.
- Following a free throw from Connor Essegian to make it 53-34, the Spartans scored 15-straight points, with Richardson scoring five points, including a 3-pointer at the 11:56 mark to make it 60-34 and force the Huskers to call a timeout.
- The Spartans pushed the lead past 30 points on back-to-back 3-pointers, first from junior guard Tre Holloman to make it 65-34 and then Booker's trey to close the run.
- MSU took a 40-point lead, 81-41, on a jumper from Richardson with 5:57 left and twice had a 42-point lead, first on free throws from junior center Carson Cooper (85-43, 3:53) and then at 87-45 on a jumper from Booker (2:38).
- Michigan State went into the half with a 41-31 lead when Fears fed Kohler for a layup with five seconds on the clock.
- The Spartans had jumped out to a quick 7-0 edge after a 3-pointer from Holloman and baskets from Zapala and Akins but Nebraska countered and the tied game on a 3-pointer from Berke Buyuktuncel.
- Tied at 11-all after a conventional three-point play from Nebraska's Brice Williams, the Spartans used a 13-2 run to take a 24-13 lead on free throws from Akins with 7:25 left.
- MSU took its biggest lead of the half, 37-22, on free throws from Richardson with 3:39 to play before Nebraska pulled to within six points, 37-31, on a 3-pointer from Williams with just over a minute to play before halftime.
- Kohler tipped-in a missed shot with 44 seconds left and then took the feed from Fears for the 10-point lead.
- Michigan State out-rebounded Nebraska, 48-19, collected 12 offensive rebounds and scored 17 second-chance points.
- The Spartans finished the game shooting 51.8 percent from the floor, including 61.5 percent in the second half (16-of-26).
- Michigan State limited Nebraska to 33.3 percent shooting from the floor (18-of-54), including just 28.6 percent in the second half (8-of-28).
- MSU hit 39.1 percent of its 3-pointers (9-of-23), including 54.5 percent in the second half (6-of-11).
- Michigan State shot 95.7 percent from the free throw line (22-of-23).
- The Spartans handed out 20 assists on 29 made field goals (69.0 percent assist rate).
- Michigan State leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 24-10, including a 13-3 record at home.
- Head Coach Tom Izzo is 16-4 all-time against the Huskers.
- The win improves Michigan State to 2-0 in the Big Ten, the first time since 2021-22 the team has won its first two league games.
- Izzo's career record improved to 715-297, including a 345-170 mark in Big Ten play.
- Izzo's 345 Big Ten wins are eight away from tying former Indiana coach Bob Knight for the most career Big Ten victories.
- This was the seventh time the team has scored at least 80 points (7-0).
- Michigan State is 7-0 when leading at the half this season.
- The Spartans have connected on at least 50.0 percent of their field goals five times this season (5-0).
- MSU held Nebraska below 50.0 percent shooting from the floor (33.3 percent), the eighth time this season an opponent was below 50.0 percent (7-2).
- The Spartans are 8-0 when outshooting their opponent.
- Michigan State is 7-1 when controlling the battle of the boards.
- The Spartans grabbed a season-high 49 rebounds and had a 48-19 advantage on the boards.
- It was the first time with a plus-20 advantage on the boards since a 46-26 edge over Georgia Southern on Nov. 28, 2023.
- MSU handed out 20 assists, the sixth time this season the team has had at least 20.
- Michigan State hit a season-high 95.7 percent of its free throws (22-of-23), the sixth time this season connecting on at least 80 percent.
- It was the sixth time this season the team hit at least 20 shots from the charity stripe and the 22 made shots are the third-most this season.
- In shooting 95.7 percent, it was the best single-game percentage since shooting 94.7 percent (18-of-19) against Indiana on Feb. 21, 2023.
- The Spartans continue to get support from its bench, scoring 43 points, the fifth time the team has received at least 40 points and the ninth time in 10 games with at least 30 points.
- Jaden Akins led the team in scoring with 18 points, his fourth time this season leading the team and the eighth of his career.
- Akins has scored in double figures seven times this year and 41 times in his career.
- Akins has now scored 911 points in his career at Michigan State.
- Jase Richardson scored 16 points, his sixth game in double figures this season.
- Jaxon Kohler had 8 points and 12 rebounds, his fourth game this season with at least 10 boards and the fifth of his career.
- Xavier Booker scored 11 points, his third-straight game in double figures (five games career).
- Jeremy Fears Jr. scored 6 points and led the team with 8 assists, his fifth time leading the team this season.
- He has handed out at least 5 assists eight time this year and 11 times in his career (22 games).
Michigan State takes a 10-day break and returns to play on Tuesday, Dec. 17, playing in-state rival Oakland at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit (7 p.m., ESPN2).
Team Stats
Nebr
MSU
FG%
.333
.518
3FG%
.182
.391
FT%
.667
.957
RB
19
48
TO
11
17
STL
8
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
4
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
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