On Saturday afternoon, Michigan State came away with a victory at Madison Square Garden against Rutgers. Under head coach Tom Izzo, the Spartans have historically struggled at the Garden, with a previous record of just 4-13 under Izzo, now 5-13.
Big time players step up at the world’s most famous arena, and Jase Richardson and Coen Carr were no exceptions. Richardson led the team with a career high 20 points while Carr led on the boards for the night with eight rebounds alongside 12 points.
“It’s always amazing playing in a venue like this, being one of the world’s greatest arenas, and growing up watching games here,” said Richardson. “So, for me to have a performance here and to have our team win, it’s amazing.”
Although the Spartans were able to hold a lead for a substantial part of the game, there were some noticeable stretches where MSU did not seem to be firing with its usual intensity.
In the post-game presser, Izzo shared he felt the team played with less grit.