Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans Blow Away Lowly Arkansas Pine Bluff 85-52

Breslin Center East Lansing, MI Playing perhaps the beat team effort in years for a Tom Izzo team, the Michigan State Spartans sent the Golden Lions of

Breslin Center

East Lansing, MI

Playing perhaps the beat team effort in years for a Tom Izzo team, the Michigan State Spartans sent the Golden Lions of Arkansas Pine Bluff home with a big check and a ridiculous loss 85-52. It wasn’t that close. It was an unselfish exhibition by the Spartans that any coach at any level should show to his team.

The Spartans had an amazing 18 assists at halftime on ONLY 19 baskets. In the final box score the Spartans had an astounding 27 assists on 30 buckets.

On a day that saw the Spartans arch rival in Michigan lose to New Jersey Institute of Technology 72-70 the Spartans made sure that there would be NO upsets in the Breslin Center. The Spartans shot 60% while the Lions only made 30%.

Tom Izzo said of his teams play, “Unbelievably excited about how we played the first half. Even the 27 out of 30 (assists for the game) is mind boggling. The second half just came out and didn’t have the killer instinct to do what we had to do. We were so good at passing the ball for assists in the first half that we passed it to them in the second half.”

I asked Izzo about the unselfish play and his team mentality, “The unselfishness is incredible and that is how we need to play. I am proud of that.”

For the game Matt Costello and Travis Trice were the leading scorers for MSU. They each had 15. That is a career high for Costello. Branden Dawson led the way rebounding with seven points and 12 boards. The only negative on the day was the Spartans 18 turnovers.

The Spartans next game is in eight days as the Spartans break for final exams. That game on December 14th will feature Oakland and that game can be seen on ESPNU at 8 PM.