Spartans Escape Game #400 In Breslin Center History with a Narrow 66-60 Win Over Last Place Penn State

Spartans Escape Game #400 In Breslin Center History with a Narrow 66-60 Win Over Last Place Penn State Breslin Center East Lansing, MI Tonight was the 400th

Spartans Escape Game #400 In Breslin Center History with a Narrow 66-60 Win Over Last Place Penn State

Breslin Center

East Lansing, MI

Tonight was the 400th MSU men’s basketball game in Breslin history tonight. It will not go into the books as one of the best. May not even make the top 300, but somehow against a lowly last place Penn State the Spartans won 66-60. With the win the Spartans improve to 13-6 (4-2) on the season.

The Spartans had two players who garnered double doubles. Gavin Schilling had 11 points and 12 boards. Branden Dawson had 12 points and 10 boards. MSU had 16 assists on 23 shots and out rebounded the Lions 39-26. Both team had 13 turnovers.

Izzo as you can imagine was not pleased with his team’s less than stellar performance. “I thought we just missed a lot of open shots. In the second half we didn’t guard until the last five minutes. After the other game I will take the win.”

With 3:41 on the clock and Penn State within two, Lions coach Pat Chambers exploded on the officials. To his defense they had been horrid against the Lions all night but it was ill advised and certainly contributed to the loss. He faced it like a man in the postgame saying, “Probably four years of frustration. Our players compete, they play hard, they try. Let us decide the game. There were three straight calls against us that were not called all game. I never want to say it’s the refs. They are good guys. They try their best. I just think people look at Penn State very differently and I am tired of it. I didn’t think it warranted a tech. That is his discretion and that is fine. I hurt my team tonight. I can’t do that. I have to be a solution driven coach. I got to be a positive. I got to coach the game which I did for the most part.”

He went on to add about the technical giving MSU a boost, “Most definitely. Gave them momentum and they hit a big three. I take full blame, I got to control my emotions and no matter what’s happened I can’t let the frustration of losing in years past get to me and that is what happened.”

Izzo said, “I feel for Penn State. I give him (Chambers) credit.” Izzo went on to say about his technical that, “The consistency of officiating is difficult.”

The Spartans can’t play the same way on Saturday night and win in Lincoln, Nebraska. That is a 4PM tip and it can be seen on ESPN.