The senior guard scored a game-high 13 points and dished out three assists in his first game since the injury, as No. 2 MSU beat Saginaw Valley State, 88-44, on Tuesday at Breslin Center.

“It felt great to be back out there with my teammates, playing, pretty much just having fun out there,” Lucas said. “It felt good.”

Lucas played 19 minutes — about 12 less than his average last season — in his return to the court Tuesday. After going through months of rehab following the injury, Lucas said getting his conditioning back has been the most difficult aspect of his comeback.

“I got kind of winded fast, I had to ask for a sub,” Lucas said. “(But) as far as my Achilles’, it felt good.”

Head coach Tom Izzo acknowledged Lucas’ fatigue after the game, saying it was the first time the fourth-year player had asked for a subsitution. However, Izzo said the areas of the game where Lucas has improved — partly because of the injury — also were on display against the Cardinals.

“I think his shooting is better than before, and I think that is because he is concentrating on his shot more,” Izzo said. “It was fun to watch him, and I thought he did a good job defensively too.”

Lucas went 2-for-4 from behind the arc Tuesday, and Izzo also said he did a good job of pulling up for mid-range shots rather than forcing the ball to the basket.

“Coming off that injury, he did a lot of good things tonight,” Izzo said.

Not the only player with a hot hand, Lucas was one of six players to hit a three-pointer for the Spartans, who finished the game shooting 47.4 percent from distance (9-for-19). MSU was especially hot in the first half, knocking down six of their 11 attempted three-pointers.

“They shot the heck out of the ball tonight,” Saginaw Valley State head coach Frankie Smith said. “Our goal, obviously, is to make teams shoot challenged jump shots. And in the first half (MSU) did it, but they weren’t missing them.”

Junior forward Draymond Green, whom Izzo said has improved his range since last season, knocked down two shots from behind the long line in the first half, proving the Spartans have plenty of weapons all over the floor.

“It’s something I worked on a lot this summer,” Green said. “I’m not just going to be jacking threes, but they were open, good shots.”

The hot shooting and quick start for Lucas, who scored nine points in the game’s first eight minutes, helped the Spartans build a 19-point, first-half lead before going into the half ahead, 42-24.

MSU began the second half on a 23-4 run, which was triggered by two three-pointers by senior guard Durrell Summers, and eventually coasted to the victory in a game where every dressed player saw at least four minutes.

“I thought we played pretty well,” Izzo said. “I didn’t think anyone played poorly.”

While Lucas led the team with 13 points, three players — Summers, Green and freshman guard Keith Appling — followed up with 12. Junior forward Delvon Roe brought in eight rebounds to go with his eight points, and Green dished out four assists and gathered three rebounds of his own.

The Spartans will play one more exhibition game next Monday at Breslin Center against Nebraska-Omaha. And with a week to prepare for that game and the regular season tip-off next Friday at home against Eastern Michigan, Izzo said he and his players have plenty of room to improve.

“This is going to be an important week for us,” Izzo said. “I have never done a two-a-day practice, but we have to get after it.”

To read more about the Spartans victory, check out the MSU basketball blog, Hoop, There it is.