Led by a 25 point performance by junior guard Shabazz Napier, Connecticut, or UConn, kicked off the post-Jim Calhoun era with a 66-62 victory over the Spartans in front of a crowd of uniformed men and women in Germany.

The Spartans struggled to find rhythm on offense for much of the game, shooting just 39.3 percent from the field, including a 23.5 percent clip from beyond the 3-point line.

Junior guard Keith Appling led the way on offense in a losing effort with 17 points and five assists, while sophomore guard Branden Dawson chipped in 15 points and seven assists. Senior center Derrick Nix led all players with 11 rebounds to go along with his six points in the game.

Shooting wasn’t as much a problem for UConn, who finished the game shooting 46.3 percent from the field with a 42.9 percent edge from beyond the arc.

The Huskies led by as much as 16 points in the first half before MSU battled back to go into the locker room trailing 40-33.

A layup by Appling with 5:43 remaining in the second half capped MSU’s comeback efforts, giving the Spartans their first and only lead of the evening. However, it would be short-lived, as Napier hit a 3-pointer — one of his three in the game — to give UConn the lead for the rest of the way.

Aside from the showing by Napier, who also added three assists in the game, sophomores guard Ryan Boatright and forward DeAndre Daniels produced 13 and 12 points, respectively, as the Huskies knock off MSU on opening night.

The Spartans return to action at 7 p.m. on Nov. 13 against No. 7 Kansas at the Champions Classic in Atlanta.