In MSU's 64-53 loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday, the Badger defense had an answer for every Spartan offensive option - except freshman forward Erazem Lorbek.
The Badgers (17-5 overall, 7-3 Big Ten) had shut down the perimeter for MSU's guards and foul trouble had restrained most of MSU's (13-9, 5-5) big men from establishing themselves in the post.
But the 6-foot-10 native of Ljubljana, Slovenia, scorched the Badgers for 19 points in the second half, after a scoreless first. Over a 3:14 stretch, he scored eight-straight points and dominated the Badgers' interior men.
Lorbek was 7-of-10 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe in his career-high offensive performance. MSU ran an offensive set that utilized a double screen high at the point to open up either Lorbek or freshman guard Chris Hill. Lorbek ran it to the tee.
Senior forward Adam Ballinger explained why Lorbek had so much room to work down low against Wisconsin.
"We had a play where we'd set a double screen," Ballinger said. "Depending how they play it, somebody's open and Erazem took advantage of it."
Lorbek's performance Tuesday might have been evidence of his teammate's faith in him down low.
Of his 19 points, 10 were in the paint, often off good looks from sophomore guard Kelvin Torbert, sophomore guard Tim Bograkos or Hill.
MSU head coach Tom Izzo praised the lanky forward's play as well as his teammates unselfishness in the loss.
"We did a pretty good job of hitting (Lorbek)," Izzo said. "They were stepping up on the screens and really taking away Chris Hill, they did a good job on him. (Lorbek) was open and Torbert and Hill both gave some good passes in there to get him lay-ups."
Lorbek complemented Izzo's statement in typical concise style.
"I would slip and I was open," he said.
And the 18-year-old came through when the Spartans needed him to chip away at Wisconsin's lead.
With 6:39 left in regulation, Lorbek connected on a clutch 3-point play, which narrowed the Badger lead to 48-46. Then, he nailed an open look at a 3-pointer with less than a minute to play, cutting Wisconsin's seven-point lead to four.
In his sixth-straight start, Lorbek played 24 minutes, matching a career high. It was the first time this season the Spartans had been defeated when Lorbek scored in double digits.
Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan certainly took notice of the Badgers' inability to slow Lorbek down.
"For a while when Lorbek was having a field day, we were playing into their hands," Ryan said. "We had to erase our doubt."
Lorbek's key late-game plays, though, were not enough.
"We had the chance to win this game but didn't show the effort like in games before," he said. "I think I can provide a lot more, but today the whole team, the effort just wasn't correct."
