How Michigan State basketball finally got a Big Ten win vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Tom Izzo promised he would put Aaron Henry back into Michigan State basketball’s starting lineup after a one-game trial coming off the bench.
That was expected, and Henry responded with the type of game his coach has sought from his junior captain all season — and then some.
The junior delivered career highs with 27 points and three 3-pointers, tying a career high and flashing a jump shot that had been missing all season, to help jolt the 18th-ranked Spartans to an 84-77 victory over Nebraska on Saturday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.
MSU (7-3, 1-3) avoided opening Big Ten play with four straight losses for the first time under Izzo. The Spartans haven’t done that since 1979-80. Henry also helped prevent their first four-game losing streak since 2001-02.
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Henry, the 6-foot-6 swingman, attacked off the dribble and flashed a smooth jumper from the other two levels all game despite entering 4-for-23 from 3-point range, just 1-for-4 in Big Ten action. He made 10 of 16 shots, with 17 points in the first half and 10 after the break before going scoreless over the final 9:29.
MSU needed it as the Huskers (4-7, 0-4) rode the hot shooting of Teddy Allen in the second half to cut a 17-point MSU lead to five in the waning minutes. The Nebraska junior guard had 19 of his 23 points in the second half.
But the Spartans got key contributions down the stretch on the offensive glass from Thomas Kithier and Joshua Langford, then survived in the waning moments despite some wonky free-throw shooting in the final minute.
Izzo shook up his backcourt to start freshman point guard A.J. Hoggard, moving him into the lineup in place of Rocket Watts. The sophomore, who asked to be moved to shooting guard, came off the bench behind senior Joshua Langford as Izzo reinserted Henry in the opening group after he came off the bench in the Spartans’ 81-65 blowout loss Monday at Minnesota.
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Hoggard finished 2-for-3 for four points but steadied MSU’s offense while adding five assists and three rebounds. Watts scored nine points off the bench but was just 3-for- 8.
Langford hit 5 of 12 shots, including a critical putback with 40 seconds left, to finish with 16 points. Three of Kithier’s four rebounds were on the offensive glass, including a follow dunk in transition on a Langford shot that was blocked and layup off a wrap-around pass from Hoggard after Nebraska had cut the lead to six.
Trey McGowens scored 20 for Nebraska.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Read more on the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball tops Nebraska Cornhuskers on road, 82-77
