Photo: Dale Young ~ IMAGN IMAGES
EAST LANSING, Dec. 30, 2024 ~ #18 Michigan State basketball (11-2) took their sixth straight victory in the last game before the New Year against Western Michigan (3-9), winning 80-62 on Monday afternoon at the Breslin Center. While the Broncos put up a strong fight, former Spartan coach Dwayne Stephens was unsuccessful in pulling out the win during his first game back in East Lansing in his new role as head coach at Western.
The Broncos got off to a hot start in both the first and second halves, nailing a couple of three point opportunities to give themselves the early advantage. MSU would gain ground as the game progressed though, thanks to a big scoring effort from multiple players.
Senior guard Jaden Akins led the way for the green and white with a game-high 18 points, shooting an efficient 6-13 from field goal range. Freshman guard Jase Richardson was also making his mark early on, tallying nine points and finding his teammates for fast break dunks.
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STEAL ➡️ PASS ➡️ SLAM
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) December 30, 2024
📺: BTN pic.twitter.com/lZRffzIXDh
(CONTINUED) Junior center Carson Cooper had the best game of his season to date, recording 13 points, six rebounds and multiple blocked shots.
“I was pleased with his offensive performance,” head coach Tom Izzo told WJR Correspondent Nick Lundberg after the game. “He was perfect from the free throw line as well, which I give him credit for improving on. We still need a lot more from all of our bigs going forward though.”
Sophomore forward Coen Carr also made an impact down low, tallying five rebounds and two blocks. Major improvements have been made to his shooting mechanics as well, as he was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line and drilled the second three of his career.
Junior point guard Tre Holloman was the main catalyst for the offense, dishing out a team-high six assists to go with his nine points on three made three pointers.
MSU will be entering the thick of the Big Ten schedule after the New Year, heading to Ohio State for a Friday night matchup with the Buckeyes.
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