Tag: msu vs maryland basketball

3 Key Takeaways: No. 24 Michigan State Basketball defeats No. 9 Maryland

Michigan State basketball enjoyed a strong victory over the Maryland Terpins last night, 78-66. Here are three key takeaways from this game.

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Michigan State won an absolutely impressive road game last night against the Maryland Terpins, 78-66. At one point, the Spartans led the Terpins by nearly 16 points. Cassius Winston scored a team-high 20 points in this Big Ten matchup.

Here are three key takeaways from this game:

1. MSU Showcases Dynamic Defense

For the most part, Michigan State clamped up Maryland last night. Forward Jalen Smith led the Terpins in points with 20 points on the night. The Spartans primarily focused on Maryland Guard Anthony Cowan Jr., to great effect.

Cowan Jr. only scored 13 points on 6/15 shooting from the floor. Rocket Watts played excellent defense against Cowan Jr. throughout large portions of this game. Aaron Henry also helped out with stellar perimeter defense, contributing one block and one steal. Meanwhile, Tillman blocked two shots and ended the game with a steal as well.

2. Freshmen Playing With Confidence

Malik Hall and Rocket Watts really stepped up in this game against the Terpins. Most importantly, the freshmen carried themselves with confidence which is critical in away game situations. Malik Hall scored 16 points on 5/5 shooting from the floor. Rocket Watts scored 13 points on 5/13 shooting from the floor along with two rebounds and three assists.

I’ve mentioned before that Michigan State really needs thirty points or so from anyone but Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman. Malik Hall and Rocket Watts both have the talent necessary for this contribution. Hopefully, both freshmen continue this high level of play to close out the season.

3. Room For Growth

MSU’s starting five played a total of 158 minutes. The Spartan bench played a total of 42 minutes. MSU’s starting rotation scored a total of 72 points. The Spartan bench contributed a total of six points, all from Kyle Ahrens. The trend is pretty obvious.

Gabe Brown saw the floor for only five minutes in this game. Marcus Bingham Jr. played no more than three minutes. MSU has a very thin margin for error in the Big Ten Tournament. Brown must score more than 0 points for a Championship run.

Michigan State is back in action this upcoming Tuesday on Feb. 3. The Spartans face off against the Penn State Nittany Lions on ESPN at 7 P.M.

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Game Recap: Michigan State Basketball topples Maryland 78-66

Michigan State Basketball blew out Maryland at the Xfinity Center, 78-66, in a critical Big Ten game. Here is a game recap.

Michigan State basketball handled Maryland at the Xfinity Center in a strong 78-66 victory. Malik Hall scored sixteen points, shooting 5/5 from the floor. Rocket Watts played excellent defense against Anthony Cowan Jr. and delivered clutch buckets. This was a quality road win for Michigan State.

First Half

Aaron Henry scored the first points of this game. Malik Hall followed up with a tightly contested layup. Xavier Tillman blocked a shot which led to a Cassius Winston dime to Hall. Another defensive stop leads to a Rocket Watts corner three. What do you know, the Spartans are off to a strong start on the road.

Malik Hall hit another jumper, putting up six points in less than three minutes. Then, Hall found a wide-open Aaron Henry for a three-point shot. Jalen Smith hit a three, injecting life into the Maryland crowd. Cassius Winston answered right back with a three-pointer of his own. The Spartans led the Terpins 17-5 in the first five minutes.

Maryland scored seven points in the next three minutes, cutting the deficit to five. Luckily, Cassius hit two free-throws to give MSU some space. Both teams exchanged buckets until Maryland tied the game with a three. Xavier Tillman grabbed a tough offensive rebound and scored down low, putting MSU back ahead 25-23 with nine minutes left in the first half.

Cassius Winston scored five points in three possessions, building the lead to seven points. Neither team scored for the next four minutes. Finally, Tillman converted on a low post opportunity. The Spartans scored on consecutive possessions, bringing the lead back out to eight points. Then, Winston hit a crazy, half-court shot to close the half.

Michigan State closed the half ahead 40-29, holding Anthony Cowan Jr. to only six points.

Second Half

Rocket Watts hit a mid-range jumper to start the half. Cassius Winston found Xavier Tillman for a bucket at the rim. Aaron Henry converted on an and-one opportunity. Then, Rocket Watts found Tillman for another easy layup. Michigan State now ahead by 16 points with 17 minutes remaining.

Winston found plenty of space and hit a three-pointer. Maryland answered right back with a bucket from deep. Winston then threw a successful alley-oop to Tillman. The Spartans went 7/7 to start the second half.

Maryland freshman Hakim Hart hit a corner three, cutting the lead to 13 points. Xavier Tillman grabbed an offensive board and found Hall for a three-pointer. Michigan State maintained its lead through exceptional defense.

Gabe Brown grabbed an offensive board and found Rocket Watts all alone beyond the arc. One play later, Tillman scored down in the paint. MSU ahead 66-49 with less than ten minutes left in the game.

Jalen Smith scored in the post on Thomas Kithier, drawing a foul in the process. Marcus Bingham Jr. made his way into the game and took it to Smith after a heated defensive play. This resulted in double technicals for both Bingham Jr. & Smith.

Rocket Watts ended an 8-0 Maryland run with a wide-open three-point shot. He then scored on mid-range pull-up, hushing all Terpins fans in the crowd. Maryland cut the Spartan lead down to 11 points with five minutes left in the game.

Cassius Winston hit a corner three and was fouled on the play. This extended MSU’s lead to thirteen. Hakim Hart scored on a transition layup, cutting the Spartan lead down to 10 yet again with less than three minutes remaining.

Aaron Henry had a huge block down low. Unfortunately, Cassius Winston turned the ball over for the second consecutive possession. Henry then clamped up Anthony Cowan Jr. in a clutch moment.

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Michigan State Basketball vs. Maryland: 3 Things To Watch

Michigan State Basketball takes on the Maryland Terpins this upcoming Saturday. Here are 3 things to watch in this Big Ten basketball game.

The Spartans face off against the Maryland Terpins for the second time in less than two weeks. Michigan State just toppled Iowa, 78-70 at the Breslin Center. Maryland, on the other hand, just beat lost to Ohio State 79-72.

Here are three things to watch in this game:

1. MSU Playing With Confidence

Maryland bested Michigan State in their last meeting just about two weeks ago. The Spartans swung a lead late in the game but could not hold on. Instead, Maryland Guard Anthony Cowan Jr. went thermonuclear. He went on an 11-0 run against MSU, giving the Terpins a strong victory.

The Spartans did to Iowa what they could not do to Maryland. Now, MSU is playing with some confidence. Especially players like Malik Hall, Rocket Watts, & Aaron Henry. This game against the Terpins will be close, no doubt. Watch for Michigan State’s confidence levels to be at a season-high level.

2. Malik Hall Back In The Starting Lineup

Malik Hall has a lot of growing to do but has shown flashes of excellence so far. He hustles on the boards and on defense, even if the latter results in foul trouble. Hall only tallied up a total of two personal fouls against Iowa though. Remember, Hall got the start against Maryland the last time around. Watch for his return to the starting lineup against Maryland.

3. Xavier Tillman Sr. More Involved On Offense

Xavier Tillman Sr. did so much defensive against Iowa but struggled on offense. Against Iowa, Tillman scored a total of six points on 2/4 from the floor and 2/4 from the free-throw line. This won’t happen in back-to-back games. Instead, MSU will run a bevy of plays for Tillman including Winston pick and rolls. Watch for a stellar offensive performance from Xavier Tillman Sr.

Michigan State plays against Maryland this Saturday at 8 P.M. on ESPN.

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3 Key Takeaways: Michigan State Basketball vs. Maryland

Michigan State Basketball suffered a brutal loss at the hands of the Maryland Terpins. Here are 3 key takeaways from this game.

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Michigan State Spartans basketball suffered a dispiriting loss last night to Maryland, 67-60. The Terpins stood tall at the Breslin Center against a surging MSU team in the second half. Mostly thanks to Anthony Cowan Jr. and his 24 points. Now, the Spartans are 17-9 overall and 9-6 in Big Ten Conference games.

Here are three key takeaways from this game:

1. Starting Forward Spot Up For Grabs

Tom Izzo inserted Malik Hall back into the starting lineup in place of Marcus Bingham Jr. Unfortunately, this did not go well for the Spartans. Instead, Malik Hall made poor defensive decisions while shooting 0/2 from the floor. All in all, Hall only played a total of seven minutes in this game.

Marcus Bingham Jr. only played seven minutes as well. Thomas Kithier ended up being the primary Forward for Michigan State. Kithier played 22 total minutes, scoring six points. He also grabbed three boards and blocked one shot. We might get another heavy dose of Kithier against Nebraska.

2. Anthony Cowan Jr. Cooked MSU

Anthony Cowan Jr. went off against Michigan State. Cowan ended the game with 24 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Furthermore, Cowan went on a 10-0 run all by himself to close out the game for his team. No one could stop him from hitting outside shots nor getting to the basket. MSU must strategize better against a dynamic talent like Cowan Jr.

3. Offensive Woes Becoming Worriesome

The Spartans shot 21% from beyond the three-point line as a team. Even worse, only Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman scored in double digits, combining for 32 points. This offense looked really bleak throughout large portions of this game. Especially when MSU pulled ahead and could not sustain their lead.

The rest of Michigan State’s starters scored a total of 14 points. All of the Spartan’s bench scored a total of 14 points. In ten minutes, Gabe Brown did not score any points. That’s hard times. Hopefully, these hard times won’t last.

The Spartans are back in action against Nebraska this Thursday on Feb. 20. The game starts at 8:30 P.M. and broadcasts live on FS1.

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Michigan State Basketball loses to Maryland 67-60: Game Recap

Michigan State Basketball lost to Maryland at the Breslin Center, 67-60, in heartbreaking fashion. Read a complete game recap here.

Michigan State Basketball lost to Maryland, 67-60, in a nationally televised game on ESPN. Maryland led for large portions of this game but MSU gained a lead late in the game. Unfortunately, the Spartans could not sustain this lead nor stop Terpins Guard Anthony Cowan Jr.

Here is a quick recap of this game:

Michigan State scored twice early on and then forced a Maryland turnover on the other end. Then, the Spartans missed their next five shots from the floor. Anthony Cowan Jr. scored all of the Terpin’s first 8 points for an 8-5 lead over Maryland with 15 minutes left in the first half.

Both teams pushed the pace, using very little of their respective shot clocks. Aaron Henry stole the ball and was fouled coming down on a fastbreak. Henry hit one free-throw, cutting the Maryland lead down to 13-10. Xavier Tillman was on fire early on with 10 points and four rebounds in the first ten minutes. MSU trailed Maryland 20-14 halfway through the first half.

Michigan State looked out of sorts down the stretch of the first half. Meanwhile, Maryland got everything and anything on the offensive end. MSU went on a 7-0 to close the half, cutting the deficit to double-digits. The Terpins led the Spartans at halftime, 39-31.

MSU forced a Maryland turnover right out of the halftime break. On the next play, Aaron Henry threw down a mean dunk and Cassius Winston scored on a tough layup. Then, the Spartans forced a shot clock violation on defense. Terpins led the Spartans 41-35 with 16 minutes left in the game.

Rocket Watts came back in and immediately hit a tough mid-range jumper. On the next play, Watts hit a three-pointer, cutting the deficit to one point. Note, Maryland led by as much as 15 points earlier in this game.

Michigan State and Maryland traded buckets for the next five minutes. Kyle Ahrens tied the game with a three-pointer. Finally, Cassius Winston gave MSU the lead with a pull-up three in transition. Xavier Tillman added to this lead with two free-throws. MSU now in front 56-53 with five minutes remaining.

Michigan State pushed the lead even further with buckets on three-consecutive possessions. Then, Anthony Cowan Jr. scored ten straight points, giving Maryland a five-point lead. The Terpins closed this game out with two Anthony Cowan Jr. free-throws for a 67-60 victory at the Breslin Center.

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MSU Basketball: Forward Malik Hall returns to starting lineup vs. Maryland

Michigan State Basketball Forward Malik Hall will start over Marcus Bingham Jr. against Maryland. Read more details here.

Michigan State Basketball coach Tom Izzo spoke on his pregame radio show before the game against Maryland. Izzo revealed that freshman Forward Malik Hall will return to the starting lineup. The rest of the Spartan’s starting rotation will stay the same.

Here is your Michigan State Basketball starting lineup vs. Maryland:

  • Guard Cassius Winston
  • Guard Rocket Watts
  • Forward Aaron Henry
  • Forward Malik Hall
  • Forward Xavier Tillman

Marcus Bingham Jr. will come off of the bench for the Spartans.

Tune-in at 6 P.M. on ESPN for this Big Ten Basketball matchup against Maryland! GO GREEN!

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Michigan State Basketball vs. Maryland: 5 Most Important Players

Michigan State Spartans basketball welcomes the Maryland Terpins to the Breslin Center. Here are the 5 most important players in this game.

The Breslin Center hosts a Big Ten matchup featuring Michigan State and Maryland. The Maryland Terpins have won their last seven Big Ten games against good competition. The Spartans have a tough assignment in this nationally televised game.

Here are the five most important players in this game:

1. Cassius Winston

Cassius Winston scored 12 points against Illinois, shooting 3/6 from the floor. This was not a poor performance from Cassius but rather, MSU needs more from the senior Guard. Especially given the current scoring slump amongst Spartan perimeter players. 25 points or more from Winston can lift Michigan State to victory.

2. Xavier Tillman

Xavier Tillman ended the game against Illinois with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Another quite double-double from the beloved MSU big man. Another double-double will be incredibly helpful against Maryland. Especially given Maryland Forward Jalen Smith’s tremendous rebounding ability. Tillman must battle hard in the trenches for each and every rebound in this Big Ten matchup against the Terpins.

3. Rocket Watts

Rocket Watts was on fire against Illinois, scoring a career-high 21 points. Most importantly, these points were incredibly meaningful. Watts scored bucket after bucket in crunch time during key moments. He is a crucial part of MSU’s success in this final stretch of games before the NCAA tournament. Let’s see if he can go for another 20-point game against an impressive Maryland defense.

4. Aaron Henry

Maryland has an absolutely elite perimeter player named Anthony Cowan Jr. Aaron Henry is arguably the best perimeter defender on MSU’s roster. As a result, he will likely matchup against Cowan more often than not. Henry must defend at the highest level possible. Cowan scoring more than 25 points is a recipe for disaster.

5. Malik Hall

Malik Hall is still a very young player and it shows on the court. He hustles hard and plays with energy but is still putting his game together. I think Malik Hall can certainly contribute significantly off the bench. Even if this contribution is just 10 points and five rebounds. Hopefully, Hall can ignite the Spartans with some high effort plays on the court!

Michigan State and Maryland play at 6 P.M. on ESPN tomorrow. Stay locked on SpartansWire for more plenty more coverage to come.

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3 Things To Watch: Michigan State Basketball vs. Maryland

Michigan State Basketball faces off against Maryland tomorrow in a nationally televised game. Here are 3 things to watch in this game.

Michigan State Basketball welcomes Maryland to the Breslin Center tomorrow at 6 P.M. for a nationally televised game. The Spartans are fresh off of a close victory over Illinois on the road, 70-69. Maryland, on the other hand, just beat Nebraska 72-70.

Here are three things to watch in this game:

1. Maryland On A Hot Streak

Maryland just won their seventh straight Big Ten game against Nebraska at home. This win streak includes victories over Purdue, Northwestern, Indiana, Iowa, Rutgers, and Illinois. Simply put, Maryland is a top player in the Big Ten conference. MSU now faces off against a team riding high in the Terpins. Watch for the Spartans to play incredibly aggressive in an attempt to end this winning streak.

2. Anthony Cowan Jr.

Boy oh boy, Anthony Cowan Jr. can score in bunches. He averages 16.3 points per game but can easily rise above this average. As a matter of fact, Cowan has scored 99 points in just the past five games. This includes an impressive 31-point performance against Iowa on Jan. 30. Watch MSU’s defensive strategy against this elite Big Ten Guard.

3. Michigan State Turnovers

Michigan State beat Illinois despite turning the ball over 16 times. The Spartans are fourth in turnovers per game with 12.68 TOPG. This is a consistent recipe for disaster even against lesser Big Ten teams let alone a powerhouse like Maryland. MSU must trim down the turnovers during this final stretch of the season. Watch for more discipline from this group.

The Spartans play the Terpins at 6 P.M. tomorrow live on ESPN. Tune-in and stay with SpartansWire for more coverage of this game and all MSU basketball news.

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Michigan State Basketball faces No. 9 Maryland: Preview/Scouting Report

Michigan State Spartans Basketball takes on the Maryland Terpins at the Breslin Center. Here is a scouting report of the Maryland Terpins.

Michigan State Basketball is back in action this Saturday on Feb. 15 against the Maryland Terpins. The Spartans are currently 17-8 overall and 9-5 in Big Ten Conference games. Maryland, on the other hand, is currently 20-4 overall and 10-3 in Big Ten Conference games.

Here is a scouting report of Maryland:

Placement In The Big Ten

Maryland is a dominant Big Ten team with conference losses only to Penn State, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The Terpins score 71.7 points per game which ranks seventh in the Big Ten. Also, Maryland rebounds the ball extremely well with 39.2 rebounds per game which is fourth in the Big Ten. Most importantly, the Terpins boast two players who are top ten in Big Ten points per game.

Anthony Cowan Jr. & Jalen Smith

Anthony Cowan Jr. and Jalen Smith are an absolutely lethal combination. Cowan ranks fifth in Big Ten points per game and Smith ranks ninth with 16.3 and 15.1 points per game respectively. So Maryland features a stellar offensive duo in Cowan and Smith.

Cowan leads his team in assists and steals with 4.6 assists per game and one steal per game. Jalen Smith also ranks third in Big Ten rebounds per game with 10.2 rebounds per game. Smith also leads Maryland in blocks per game with 2.3 blocks per game. Both players will be a huge part of MSU’s defensive strategy in this Big Ten matchup.

Potential Flaws

Maryland only shoots 42% from the field which ties the Terpins for the worst shooting percentage in the Big Ten with Nebraska. Also, Maryland does not average a high number of assists per game. Instead, the Terpins only average 13.1 assist per game which is second to last in the Big Ten. These are two flaws Michigan State can potentially exploit in this home game.

The Spartans and Terpins face off against one another on ESPN. The game starts at 6 P.M.

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