Big Ten Tournament: Michigan State Basketball vs. Maryland Game Thread

Michigan State is looking to capture its seventh Big Ten Tournament championship and is the only school with six.

One month ago, Michigan State suffered a 30-point defeat to Iowa, the worst home loss in the Tom Izzo era and the second of the 2020 season. 

MSU wasn't supposed to be playing for seeding in the Big Ten tournament. 

The Spartans figured to be a desperate team against Maryland, but with a win over Michigan Sunday afternoon, Michigan State secured a place in the NCAA Tournament field. 

It was easily one of Izzo's best coaching jobs and an impressive display of physical & mental toughness by his Spartans. 

Defense, a staple of Michigan State basketball, ended up saving them. 

The Spartans were the best team in the conference when defending the three-point shot (30.9%) and second in non-steal turnovers created along with blocked shot percentage. At the same time, MSU finished 13th in the league in offensive efficiency and 11th in turnovers per possession. 

Then, Aaron Henry, who became the star MSU needed, single-handedly dragged Michigan State to the finish line on more than one occasion. In 26 games, the junior forward leads the Spartans in scoring, assists, and steals and is second on the team in rebounding and blocks. 

The first time out, Maryland shot an impressive 50% from three (8-of-16) while Michigan State made 8 of 28. It was an ugly showing, and rather than attack the rim or create ball movement, MSU kept taking tough shots from deep. 

As it turns out, the Terps are a problematic matchup for the Spartans, but falling behind 11-0 crushed t, and they never recovered. 

It's Game Day

Get up, it's #B1GTourney GAMEDAY 🏀 pic.twitter.com/5bhcmRqomy

— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) March 11, 2021

Starters

Media Timeout: MSU 12 Maryland 4 

15:10 left in the first half. 

Michigan State is off to a hot start with Rocket Watts making smart decisions and running the offense. MSU is 5-of-7 from the field with five fast break points. 

Media Timeout: MSU 19 Maryland 11

11:40 left in the first half. 

The Spartans came to play today on both ends of the court. Maryland went on a 4:30 scoring drought and Marcus Bingham is making his presence felt. Maryland is 2-for-9 overall with two 3-pointers. 

Media Timeout: MSU 23 Maryland 15

7:48 left in the first half. 

A tough stretch of basketball with Watts turning it over and Henry missing, but Maryland still isn't shooting well. They are sticking around thanks to the charity stripe. Hall and Marble each have two fouls. 

Media Timeout: MSU 26 Maryland 24

3:54 left in the first half. 

It's a 13-3 run for Maryland and the Spartans are struggling offensively. It's a pretty simple game plan for the Terps: attack the rim and shoot free-throws. MSU has made 11 field goals to Maryland's 4, yet it's a two point game. 

Halftime Stats

Media Timeout: Maryland 40 MSU 30

17:11 left in the second half. 

Media Timeout: Maryland 40 MSU 30

14:56 left in the second half. 

Media Timeout: Maryland 47 MSU 34

11:30 left in the second half. 

Media Timeout: Maryland 57 MSU 40

7:13 left in the second half. 

Final: Maryland 68 MSU 57