Senior guard Bryn Forbes, 5, defends Louisville guard Trey Lewis, 3, and forward Jaylen Johnson, 10, during the first half of the basketball game against the University of Louisville on Dec. 2, 2015 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI. The Spartans defeated the Cardinals, 71-67.
The No. 3 Spartans shook off a rocky start to defeat No. 24 Louisville, 71-67, in a come-from-behind win. MSU trailed by as much as 13 points in the first half, but managed to battle its way back behind senior leadership and solid bench play.
Senior guards Denzel Valentine and Bryn Forbes had 25 and 20 points respectively. Valentine had 15 points in the second half while Forbes had 14 in the second half. Both players made some timely 3-pointers down the stretch. Valentine iced the game away by converting all six of his free throw attempts in the final minute of the game.
MSU once again showed its mental toughness and resolve after playing from behind for a majority of the game, like they did against Kansas in the Champions Classic, before coming back to win that game, as well.
"Very, very well coached team," MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. "They trapped us. We started adjusting to it as the game went on. ... Denzel said to the team after the game if you can learn from a win, instead from a loss that normally happens, make sure to take advantage of that."
Forbes said the team wanted to make a statement in the second half after being out-muscled in the first half.
"In the first half they were getting a lot of rebounds, but in the second half we were just trying to show our toughness," Forbes said. "They gave us a good punch in the first half. We stepped up everything we did in the second half, especially our defense."
Izzo said he thought the team did a much better job in the second half of setting screens for Forbes and Valentine and getting the ball into their hands in a position to score.
"We started screening for them a little bit better in the second half, and we started moving the ball," Izzo said. "We got the ball into the middle a bit. ... We got Bryn (Forbes) and hit some big time passes. Kenny (Goins) did some of that, too. A lot of positives when we got the ball moving."
Valentine said getting contributions from so many different players is what he thinks what has made them so successful this year.
"That's what makes us such a good team," Valentine said. "Somebody different can step up every night. Eron (Harris) comes in and sparks us in the second half. In the first half DD (Deyonta Davis), and late in the second half Bryn, and Tum Tum also came up with big defensive stops."
Valentine said he thought Goins showed great heart and effort tonight en route to his 13 rebounds and jump shot with 6:47 to play in the second half to give MSU its first lead of the game.
"(Kenny Goins) wasn't scared," Valentine said. "He went in there, 6-foot-7, but you know, he's crazy athletic, he has long arms and he used that to his advantage. Those guys are 7-foot in the paint and he's going up and grabbing rebounds — that shows that he has heart."
