Michigan State Basketball Handles Eastern Michigan In Convincing ...
Michigan State basketball took care of business against their in-state opponents Eastern Michigan with a convincing 83-67 win on Tuesday night. The Spartans improved their record to 3-0 on the season, while the Eagles dropped to 1-3.
First Half Dominance
The Spartans came out firing in the first half, building a 22-point lead at halftime. They shot an impressive 61% from the field while holding the Eagles to just 38%. Junior guard Aaron Henry led the way for Michigan State, scoring 14 points and grabbing 5 rebounds in the first half alone.
The Eagles struggled to find their footing in the first half, turning the ball over 10 times and allowing the Spartans to score 14 points off those turnovers. Eastern Michigan's Ty Groce was the only player on the team that provided a spark, scoring 9 points and grabbing 4 rebounds.
Second Half Struggles
The Spartans' dominance continued into the second half as they extended their lead to 28 points at one point. However, Eastern Michigan started to chip away at that lead, going on a 19-2 run to cut the deficit down to 11 points with just over eight minutes left in the game.
Michigan State responded to Eastern Michigan's run, regaining control of the game and preventing any further comebacks. They finished the game shooting 56% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc. Aaron Henry finished the game with a team-high 21 points and 8 rebounds, while Joshua Langford added 15 points and 4 rebounds.
Key Takeaways
Michigan State showed why they are a highly-ranked team with this win over Eastern Michigan. They dominated the first half and held off any comeback attempts from their opponents. Aaron Henry had a standout game, leading the team in points and rebounds.
The Spartans will face stiffer competition in the coming weeks as they prepare for Big Ten conference play. Head coach Tom Izzo will look to fine-tune his team's performance in order to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.