Michigan State basketball rips off huge run in 2nd half to shed Rutgers, 73-55

EAST LANSING — Michigan State basketball needed to find a way to impose its will. Because every time the Spartans tried, Rutgers would counter with its own fortitude and bravado.

Until Malik Hall, Tyson Walker and their crew said enough was enough.

In a game that featured 10 lead changes and five ties in the first 36 minutes, MSU ripped off a 19-0 run midway through the second half and pulled away to a harder-than-it-looked 73-55 victory Sunday afternoon at Breslin Center.

"I think it was big for us," said Hall, who scored the first five points of the put-away punch and finished with 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting with six rebounds. "Obviously, we don't like where we're sitting in the standings. And we gotta win games to stack it up if we want to end up where we want to end up.

"I think every game is a must-win if our goals are still the goals that we set out for at the beginning of the year."

The Spartans (10-7, 2-4 Big Ten) held the Scarlet Knights (9-7, 1-4) without a field goal for a 7-minute, 2-second stretch in its run. That came after MSU’s defense kept Rutgers from making a shot from the field for a 7:27 span that covered the end of the first half and start of the second.

MSU coach Tom Izzo admitted his team understands it put itself in a bind by losing four of its first five conference games. But he has seen improvement in the Spartans' defense and rebounding the past two games, including Thursday's 71-68 loss at No. 10 Illinois.

"Are we making progress? Yeah. Is it fast enough for me? No," Izzo said. "I do think they’re starting to figure out what they gotta do. And that offense is gonna click again. ... I think we can play better. And we’re gonna have to play better if we’re gonna make a serious run."

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Tyson Walker scored 13 points with four assists, combining with Jaden Akins (nine points, four rebounds) and Tre Holloman (nine points, six assists) for nine of the Spartans’ 12 3-pointers. MSU shot 45.5% from the field.

"We just gotta get more gritty" Holloman said. "I think we're getting there. But we just need it even more."

Aundre Hyatt had 14 points before fouling out, and Mawot Mag added 12 points for the Scarlet Knights. MSU held Cliff Omoruyi to just four points and eight rebounds as he battled foul trouble all day.

The Spartans host Minnesota on Thursday (6:30 p.m., FS1).

Seesaw first half

Izzo and Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell are known for their tough-minded, defense-first teams. And that showed in abundance in the first half.

The Spartans went 9-for-25 over the physical first 20 minutes while holding the Scarlet Knights to just 9-for-27 shooting. The two squads pounded on each other from the outset, trading the lead six times with four ties.

MSU opened on an 8-3 spurt, with a pair of buckets from Hall. But Rutgers countered by going on a 7-0 run, with Hyatt draining one of the Scarlet Knights’ three first-half 3-pointers.

Back and forth it went from there. Mag’s jumper with 6:10 to play before the break gave Rutgers its final basket before halftime. MSU went on an 8-1 run to close the half, with Walker scoring seven of those, to carry a 28-22 lead into the locker room.

Walker had 10 points at half for the Spartans, while Hyatt had seven for the Scarlet Knights. Thirteen different players scored for the two teams, who also combined for 13 turnovers. MSU committed seven that led to eight Rutgers points.

"I was disappointed in the first half," Izzo said. "I was disappointed by the way we were offensively. Defensively, we were very good. Defensively, we did a lot of great things. We made some crazy turnovers on those layups again. … We were so stagnant the first half, I don’t know why. Sometimes that happens when shooters don’t make shots."

Making a stand

That defensive dominance carried over into the second half. And as he did at the outset of the game, Hall found his offensive rhythm early.

Hall hit a 3-pointer to start the final period, but Rutgers finally ended its drought and went on a 9-0 run, five of those coming from Derek Simpson. Akins ended that spurt with a 3-pointer to give the Spartans back the lead, but Mag’s layup with 14:13 to go seized it right back.

But Hall threw down a dunk and then finished strong through for a three-point play. Walker and Holloman followed with 3-pointers for 11 quick points in a two-minute span.

MSU wasn’t done. Akins drained another 3-pointer, then freshman Coen Carr finished through contract and added another three-point play. That capped the run and put the Spartans up, 54-36. Carr added another dunk after that, as the Spartans hit 53.3% from the field and went 7-for-18 from 3-point range in the final half.

Rutgers finished just 37% from the field and was 7-for-18 from 3-point range for the game.`

"That's the problem with a team like Michigan State, they kind of just keep coming at you," Pikiell said. "They hit some 3s in transition in the second half, they didn't get any in the first half."

Once things were settled, and with his team leading by 18, MSU coach Tom Izzo put his son, Steven, into the game for the final 54.3 seconds. The senior guard scored his first basket of his five-season college career, driving and hitting a high-arcing layup through a foul by Rutgers’ Austin Williams. He got a big hug from his dad before making the free throw for the Spartans’ final points with 33.8 seconds left.

Holloman handed the ball to Steven as time ran out. Tom Izzo carried the ball to the locker room with tears in his eyes. And when the coach was a few minutes behind in getting to his postgame news conference, he took a moment to apologize.

"I did something I haven’t done in a while," he said, "I had a chance to celebrate with my kid. Missed out on 20 years, so I took an extra moment to do that."

A reminder to his team that it's never too late. And the type of emotional moment they hope can turn into a pivot point for their season.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari. 

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball rips off huge run to shed Rutgers, 73-55