Four Takeaways: Michigan State outlasts UConn on Thanksgiving Day
Michigan State took down No. 22 UConn in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament semifinals on Thanksgiving Day. It was a back-and-forth battle for much of the day, but the Spartans outlasted the Huskies in a 64-60 victory.
For the second time in this tournament, Michigan State got off to a nice start, building a 9-2 lead out of the gate. The Spartans' lead grew as large as 32-18 in the first half, but the Huskies scored the final six points of the opening frame to make it 32-24 at halftime.
Michigan State rebuilt its lead to 38-27 in the opening minutes of the second half, but UConn responded with a 14-3 run to tie the game at 41-41 with 15 minutes to play.
The Spartans went into a scoring drought at that point, scoring just seven points over the next 10 and a half minutes of play. UConn took its first lead of the game with 7:47 left in the game, knocking down a triple to make it 49-48.
That was part of a 13-2 run that took the Huskies from a four-point deficit to a seven-point lead, 55-48, with four minutes left in the game.
With the chips down, however, Michigan State went to work on the defensive end of the floor, and gritted out a 16-5 run to close the game and snatch another victory in the Bahamas.
1. Double-double for Gabe Brown
On a day when offense was difficult to come by, Gabe Brown led the effort for the Spartans. The senior finished with 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting while adding 10 rebounds. Playing two games in two days, Michigan State needed someone to step up and perform in a physical game against the Huskies, and Brown was that guy today. He's been one of the most consistent Spartans early-on this season, and that bodes well from MSU going forward.
2. Max Christie's struggles continue
The freshman's career is off to a bit of a rough start. On Thursday, Christie shot just 1-of-9 from the floor and 0-of-3 from three-point range. Through six games, the 5-star prospect is shooting just 33.3 percent overall and 26 percent from deep this season. Christie is young and still adapting to the college game, but not many expected him to struggle like this to start his career at Michigan State.
3. Julius Marble strong off the bench
Marcus Bingham Jr. struggled today, but his backup played really well. Marble came off the bench to score 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting. The junior added 4 rebounds and a blocked shot. Marble has shown flashes throughout his career, but consistency has eluded him. But he came up big today on a day Michigan State needed him to perform well.
4. Spartans cut down on turnovers
This was Michigan State's best game this season in terms of limiting turnovers. Entering the contest, UConn was forcing turnovers on 30 percent of defensive possessions, the 8th-best mark in the country. The Spartans have struggled with giveaways throughout the season, but had only 12 in this game. That's a step in the right direction for Tom Izzo's club.
