Photo: Nick King ~ USA TODAY NETWORK
EAST LANSING, MI, October 29, 2023 ~ The Michigan State Spartans and the Tennessee Volunteers faced off in a charity exhibition match for the Maui Strong Fund at the Breslin Center in East Lansing Sunday.
Michigan State Spartans Head Coach Tom Izzo and Tennessee Volunteers Head Coach Rick Barnes both have exciting teams inside the Men’s College Basketball Top 25 AP Poll. The Spartans are ranked No. 4, while the Volunteers are ranked No. 9. The coaches were thrilled to see how their teams would play against a top-ranked opponent.
The exhibition match was for the Maui Strong Fund, where all proceeds of the match went towards efforts to provide relief and recovery to those suffering from the wildfires in Maui.
PODCAST:
October 30, 2023 ~ Tom Izzo, Michigan State men’s head basketball coach, talks with Guy, Lloyd, Jamie, and Steve Courtney about the Spartans‘ close loss to Tennessee in an exhibition game that raised money for the Maui Strong Fund.
(CONTINUED) The Volunteers came out firing on cylinders while the Spartans had turnover after turnover. Just about five minutes into the game, the Spartans trailed 17-1. junior guard Jordan Gainey and senior guard Dalton Knecht led the charge for the Volunteers with a combined 29 points going into the half. Gainey finished the game with 20 points alongside Knecht who finished with 28 points.
The Spartans found a way to battle back in the first half with key contributions from graduate student forward Malik Hall with nine points and junior guard Jaden Akins with seven points going into the half. Hall finished the game with a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Akins finished with 12 points. The Spartans only trailed by three going into halftime.
PHOTOS:
Oct. 29, 2023 ~ Michigan State‘s Jeremy Fears Jr. shoots as Tennessee‘s Freddie Dilione V defends during the second half on Sunday at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Tennessee went on to win the game 89-88.
(CONTINUED) The Volunteers continued to maintain control of the second half until graduate student guard Tyson Walker got the Spartans going with 17 points off 3-5 shooting from three-point range. Walker finished with 22 on the night. Walker wasn’t alone though as A.J. Hoggard stepped up to the plate with 11 points in the second half and 14 points for the game.
The Spartans trailed by three with five seconds left in the game when Hoggard hit a dagger from deep to tie the game. The Spartans went on to foul Gainey, sending him to the free throw line where he hit one of his two free throws. After a timeout, the Spartans attempted to inbound the ball but turned it over to the Volunteers to give Tennessee the win 89-88.
Coach Izzo had this to say after the game:
“That felt like March, are you kidding me? I asked Rick [Martin] are we stupid or what? We don’t need this in October. A couple of people are sitting next to me I said, ‘damn they got five more months of this’ but that’s a good thing and it was really good for our players. And in some ways, you know my philosophy around here, it’s good to get punched in the mouth.”
The Spartans are back in the Breslin Center for their first regular-season game as they face James Madison University Nov. 6 at 8:30pm. Coverage starts at 7:30 p.m. on 760 WJR.
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