Michigan State basketball survives comeback effort by Maryland, wins first road game 61-59
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Michigan State basketball appeared to have everything together and prepared to put things on coast mode with a dominant first half.
One problem: Coasting doesn’t win road games in the Big Ten.
One solution: Tom Izzo’s team dialing in when focus was most needed.
After taking a 15-point first-half lead behind sizzling shooting and smothering defense, the Spartans once again found themselves in another dogfight. And when they needed their stars and defense most, both came through.
A.J. Hoggard scored half of his 12 points in the final 7:14 after Maryland stormed back to take a brief lead. Tyson Walker had five of his 15 in the last five-plus minutes, including a critical 3-pointer with 44.5 seconds left. And Tre Holloman’s poke-away steal from the Terps’ Jahmir Young in the closing seconds allowed the Spartans to hang on for their first true road win of the season, 61-59, on Sunday at Xfinity Center.
Holloman had all 12 of his points in the first half, including three 3-pointers. Malik Hall added 12 points and six rebounds as MSU (12-7, 4-4 Big Ten) found a way to win its third straight gritty, grinder of a game.
Maryland (11-8, 3-5), which entered Sunday as the worst 3-point shooting team at 25.4% in conference games, hit eight 3-pointers and overcame early scoring woes to storm back and take a brief lead after halftime. Young had a deep shot ruled a 2-pointer with 36.3 seconds to play with his toe on the 3-point line, and his turnover in the final seconds was the Terrapins’ eighth of the game. MSU scored 19 points off those giveaways to counter giving up 10 second-chance points on nine Maryland offensive rebounds.
Young had 19 points, but he did so on just 6-for-15 shooting with seven turnovers. Donta Scott added 16, and Julian Reese had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Terps. Maryland outrebounded MSU overall, 37-22 in a tough game for the Spartans' big men.
The Spartans travel to No. 8 Wisconsin Friday for an 8 p.m. tipoff at Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin (FS1). The Badgers won Dec. 5 at MSU, 70-57, to open Big Ten play for both teams.
Dominant first half for the Spartans
With Maryland entering the game shooting just 27.9% from 3-point range as a team, Izzo opted to challenge the Terps to try and beat his team from deep.
Scott and Young each connected early as Maryland opened 2-for-3 from deep in the first 2:16. But the law of averages and MSU's Big Ten-leading 3-point defense – 30.5% for its opponents entering Saturday – caught up to the Terrapins, who would miss eight of their next nine from deep.
Meantime, the Spartans got another strong start from Hall, who had 10 points at halftime after scoring five of MSU’s first seven points and hitting its first 3-pointer.
It wouldn’t be the Spartans’ last, as Holloman and Walker hit on back-to-back possessions to spark a 15-0 run with a pair of 3-pointers and a breakaway dunk. Walker opened the spurt that spanned 4:24 with another 3-pointer, and Hall hit a pair of baseline jumpers as MSU’s lead swelled to 29-16 with 9:08 to play before half. It grew to a 15-point cushion on an Akins layup after a Walker steal and assist on the break.
The Spartans’ defense stifled Maryland for an 8-minute, 31-second stretch between made field goals, with the Terrapins missing 11 straight shots. But they pulled back within seven on a Jahari Long 3-pointer with 1:48 to go before the half.
But Holloman’s fourth 3-pointer of the half sparked a 7-2 close to the half to send the Spartans into the break with a 44-32 lead.
MSU was 6-for-10 from deep and shot 58.3% overall in the first half, while Maryland was 5-for-15 from 3 and hit 37% of its shots.
Hanging on for the win
Maryland turned it up after halftime, though, and did so with more uncharacteristic outside shooting.
Young opened the half with a 3-pointer and Scott hit another as part of the Terrapins’ 16-4 to start the second half. Scott’s three-point play and layup tied things, 48-48, with 12:15 to play. Then Young’s 3-pointer over Holloman with 8:23 to go gave Maryland its first lead of the second half, 53-50.
It also was the Spartans’ turn to struggle offensively, missing 11 straight shots and going 8:09 between made field goals. But Hoggard attacked off the dribble for a pair of layups to break that drought and reclaim the lead. Then after an Izzo timeout with 5:23 to play, Walker knifed into the paint and finished through traffic to put MSU up, 56-63.
And the Spartans’ defense, including Holloman's key play in the waning seconds, made sure Maryland couldn’t come back, even though Young tried to will it.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball survives road test vs. Maryland, wins 61-59
