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Notre Dame lights up sluggish Michigan State in 70-52 Spartan road loss

Michigan State's Tyson Walker tries to score on Notre Dame's Nate Laszewski in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup in South Bend, IN on Nov. 30, 2022. Photo Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Michigan State's Tyson Walker tries to score on Notre Dame's Nate Laszewski in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup in South Bend, IN on Nov. 30, 2022. Photo Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports (Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports)

A sluggish Michigan State squad fell hard to a hot-shooting Notre Dame team in South Bend on Wednesday night to end the ACC/Big Ten Challenge for the final time for the Spartans. MSU was routed in a 70-52 defeat that was the worst loss for the team on the season to date. The loss also resulted in the Big Ten losing the final challenge to the ACC, 8-6.


Guard A.J. Hoggard led Michigan State in scoring with 15 points, going just 5-for-13 from the field. He also led the team in assists with four and blocks with two. Forward Joey Hauser and guard Tyson Walker each scored 12, the only other Spartans to manage more than four points.


Center Mady Sissoko led the team with eight rebounds while Walker led with two steals.


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Notre Dame’s Cormac Ryan led all scorers with 23 points, while JJ Starling added 13 points and Dane Goodwin added 12 points. The Fighting Irish were particularly hot early on the night with 8-for-13 shooting from 3-point range in the first half, Ryan hit all five of his shots from deep.


It would have been difficult for Michigan State to have gotten off to a worse start than how the first 15 minutes went. While this team is just two days removed from a red eye flight home from the West Coast that saw a shorthanded squad play three games in four days at the Phil Knight Invitational, Notre Dame was well-rested, having last played five days ago in New York.


Michigan State managed to finally score on its third offensive possession to get on the board first, but it would be the lone glimmer of hope for the Spartans. Notre Dame responded with a 10-0 run to take the lead, interrupted only by the media timeout, up 5-2 at the time.


After its opening basket, Michigan State did not score a field goal again until Hauser hit a turnaround jumper with 13:09 remaining in the half. The deficit of six was the closest MSU would get again for the remainder of the game. By the third media timeout of the half, the Spartans were trailing by double digits and it never got any closer.


By the 4:33 mark, the Irish had stretched its lead out to 23 before a brief Michigan State rally. The Spartans mounted an 8-3 run to close out the half down just 18.


The second half at least saw Michigan State ensure it never got more out of hand than it already was. Every time MSU tried to mount a rally, Notre Dame would respond to ensure the Spartans never threatened. Michigan State only ever managed to cut the deficit to 15 points with 16:07 remaining, and again to 14 points with 9:19 left. The Irish responded with a 9-0 run to push its lead back to 23.


Ultimately, the final buzzer sounded with the final score of 70-52 in Notre Dame’s favor. Michigan State ends the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with a final record of 9-13, with two games having been canceled during the 24-year run.


The loss moves Michigan State to 5-3 on the season. The Spartans return to East Lansing on Sunday for just the third home game of the season to date to open early Big Ten play against Northwestern. Start time is set for 7 p.m. Eastern Time with the game on the Big Ten Network.


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