There must be something about head coach Tom Izzo's halftime speeches.
In a scene repeated time after time this season, the Spartans sputtered from the opening tip until the first-half buzzer. Then, a totally different team emerged from the tunnel in the second half.
There was MSU's game against Purdue in West Lafayette. MSU trailed by nine at the break before not only slicing the lead in the second half, but leading by as many as six points before falling in overtime. Against Minnesota in Minneapolis on Jan. 28, the Spartans trailed by 23 late in the first half before staging an unbelievable comeback and eventually winning the game in overtime.
Against Minnesota on Saturday at Breslin Center, it was just another poorly played first half erased by a much more respectable second half. The players said Izzo's speech motivated a previously uninspired-looking team, helping the Spartans turn an eight-point halftime deficit into a 69-58 victory.
"He may have used a few cuss words, but he basically told us to take care of the ball and play better defense," freshman guard Shannon Brown said. "We just turned a complete 180. When we came out, we played hard."
The Golden Gophers (9-14 overall, 1-10 Big Ten) didn't seem fazed by only one Big Ten victory. Even after MSU jumped to a 7-0 lead, the Gophers rallied.
Minnesota shot 60 percent in the first half (12-for-20), but it was the Spartans (13-9, 8-3) who were responsible for handing the Gophers more than half of their 39 first-half points.
The Spartans committed 10 first-half turnovers, resulting in 20 Gophers points, many coming on uncontested layups. Most of the turnovers occurred as the Spartans pushed the ball up the floor, but the Gophers seemed to see the direction of an MSU pass before it was thrown.
"We weren't doing it, so we deserved to be yelled at," junior guard Kelvin Torbert said of his team taking care of the ball. "He felt like we weren't playing as hard as we can, especially on the defensive end.
"We knew this was a dangerous team, but I don't think we came in and played like we thought they were a dangerous team. We played a little lackadaisical, thinking we were just going to win because we were at home."
MSU's two headed point-guard system of junior guard Chris Hill and junior swingman Alan Anderson had three turnovers each at the break. They were the focal point of Izzo's anger and a main reason for the second half turnaround. The duo combined for just two turnovers in the second half.
As a team, the Spartans held on to the ball in the second half, committing four turnovers that resulted in just two Gopher points.
"It was all on us," Hill said of Anderson and himself. "We're the two point guards on the team and we each had three (turnovers) at halftime and they weren't even forced - they were just stupid plays. When you get 20 points off turnovers in a half, that's a big difference."
It wasn't just turnovers that needed changing at the break. The Spartans' defense, which looked fatigued and beaten up, was allowing some easy slip screens and uncontested jump shots.
Minnesota's ability to penetrate also was an issue for the Spartans, as the Gophers had 17 free-throw attempts in the first half.
"We realized we're not going to win a championship if we don't play defense," senior center Jason Andreas said. "The defense was pretty good early on, but the turnovers have plagued us all year. That's one more possession and shot for them and one less for us. In the second half, the turnovers went down and the defense picked up."
The defense picked up a season-high 15 steals - only the second time in MSU's last 19 games it had double-digit steals. Izzo said his speech might have fueled his team, but it was the Spartans' determination to take care of the ball and play hard-nosed defense that put MSU all alone in second place in the Big Ten.
"We had a lackluster approach," Izzo said. "We came to something.
"I'd hate to think you have to get guys going, especially when you're competing for a championship."
