Michigan State men's basketball takes down Maryland, 63-58

Michigan State was able to get out to a fast start this game, which is something it has not done quite often this year. Contrary to the start of the game versus Rutgers, it looked like the Spartans were a completely different team as they knocked down open jumpers and got out in transition for easy buckets. Michigan State started the game on a 15-0 run and looked very comfortable in the friendly confines of the Breslin Center.

After the hot start, MSU seemed to stall out a bit on offense, going five minutes without a basket. This allowed Maryland to slowly creep back into the game, cutting the lead to 16-8 with just under 10 minutes left in the first half. The Spartans had many chances to extend the lead but seemed out of sorts on offense. There was hesitancy on shooting open shots and just an overall indecisiveness that led to four turnovers during the stetch.

That time also gave the Terps the opening they needed, and their leading scorer Jahmir Young took advantage. After starting the game with zero points, Young went on a personal 7-0 run that cut the Spartans' lead cut to six half way through the first half.

There seemed to be many pieces rotating in and out for MSU in an attempt to find a rhythm on offense, but it seemed to backfire to a degree as the players were not necessarily able to get in a rhythm on either end of the floor. With the offense stalling, the Spartans decided to lean on one of their most consistent players of the season, Joey Hauser.

Hauser was able to get some great looks within the offense and was knocking them down at a great clip. As UMD seemed to close the lead, Hauser was able to knock down two 3-pointers, and the Spartans finished the half on a high note holding a 31-22 lead. Michigan State was led by Hauser in the first half with 11 while Maryland was led by Young who had 9.

The second half got off to somewhat of a chippy start as Julian Reese and Joey Hauser got locked up in the post which led to a technical foul on Reese. Early technical free throws got the Spartans on the board in the second half, but Reese was able to exact revenge shortly after with a big offensive rebound and slam.

After some early easy shots were missed in the first half, Michigan State slowed down and did a great job of finding open spots as UMD threw a zone defense look at MSU. A 3-pointer by Tyson Walker and a mid range jumper by Joey Hauser increased the lead to 38-26 before the first media timeout.

After the timeout, the turnover bug reared its ugly head for the Spartans once again and the Terps were able to capitalize on it. Four turnovers in the first six minutes of the half led to a 12-0 run for UMD who was able to tie the game at 38-38 with 13 minutes left in the second half. During this run, MSU was all out of sorts and Maryland's guards were able to get their hands in the passing lane while also taking advantage of MSU being lackadaisical with the dribble.

The Spartans continued to struggle and saw the Terps take a four point lead, but then Tyson Walker took matters into his own hands. Michigan State went on an 8-0 run to take a four point lead late in the second half thanks to buckets from Jaden Akins and Tyson Walker.

As Joey Hauser did in the first half helping carry the offensive load, Tyson Walker assumed that role in the second half helping keep the Terps at bay as they attempted to take the lead on The Spartans. The game went back and forth towards the end, but the Spartans got enough stops to pull out a 63-58 win to get back on track in the Big Ten.

Michigan State was led by Joey Hauser who tallied 20 points, while Tyson Walker chipped in with 17. A.J. Hoggard was on triple-double watch finishing with eight points, eight assists, and 10 rebounds. MSU returns back to action on Sunday as the team travels to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS.

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