“We had moments in this game when I thought we played exceptionally well,” Izzo said. “I think we had moments in this game we played horribly poor. The inconsistency, or the lack of sustainability, was very disappointing.”

After the new-look Spartans’ first preseason win over Northwood, Izzo mentioned he wanted to see some of his key returners — especially guards fifth-year senior Eron Harris and sophomore Matt McQuaid — get more involved in the scoring.

With the team in “uncharted waters,” he said the contributions of his veteran players would be even more important.

Combined in the first game, the two guards were responsible for just nine shots from the floor. Eight of those came from Harris, leaving McQuaid with just one 3-point attempt the entire match. While the Spartans scored 93 points total, Izzo said he needed to see more from his veterans than just the seven points they contributed.

From a scoring point of view, Izzo got what he wanted when the two elevated their games against SVSU. McQuaid had a personal 7-0 run on his way to contributing 12 points.

“(Tonight) was just me trying to be more aggressive,” McQuaid said. “I think last game I passed up a couple shots, in this game I was taking them. I got into a good flow.”

Harris, on the other hand, improved his efficiency from the floor. He took six shots, but converted on four of them for a 66.7 percent field-goal percentage. Adding in the five free throws he made from the free throw line, Harris doubled his Northwood point total from seven to 14.

The veteran guard was a catalyst to the Spartans’ red-hot 13-3 start last season, combining with freshman forward Miles Bridges for all the points in the stretch. Harris said that specific run to begin the match was reminiscent of last season.

“It felt good (playing),” Harris said. “It kind of reminded me of playing last year, just high energy. We came out with a lot of energy. We just have to sustain that energy.”

While Harris said there was an effort to get himself going early in the game, it wasn’t just him the team was looking to jumpstart the match.

“We have to get everybody going,” Harris said. “It was an effort to get me going, get Miles going, to get McQuaid going, get our scorers going. And then everything else from there trickles down.”

The young forward, Bridges — the Spartans’ leading scorer thus far — agreed with the sentiment that the team needed to get its scorers going early. In the past, the freshman said he looks to be a facilitator as part of his game, Bridges said feeding the experienced guards felt natural.

“We tried to get (McQuaid and Harris) going early,” Bridges said. “McQuaid took one shot last game and Eron, he had a decent game last game. We had to get them going early. When they get started going, that’s when everyone gets going because they’re our leaders.”

Compared to the seven total points in the first game, McQuaid and Harris chipped in 26 points together, both with double-figures. The two were part of a balanced Spartan attack, featuring four players scoring more than 10 points.

While the points were nice, Izzo was critical and said even though the duo played well, they still needed to work together and be more consistent throughout the game.

“We had a couple guys play good,” Izzo said. “McQuaid played good for a stretch, then he went to the tank. Eron played good for a stretch, then he turned the ball over. We got completely out of control.”

Izzo admitted it was hard to correctly judge McQuaid because of his off-season injury. As a result of it, he missed the entire summer. McQuaid, though, said he wasn’t feeling any aftereffects of it.

“I get a little tired maybe, I’m not in as good of shape,” McQuaid said. “But that’s no excuse. The season’s around the corner and we’ve been practicing for a long time, so it’s no excuse.”

With all the factors in mind, Izzo said he expects to see more from his veteran wings, but it was all still a work in progress.

“I think we’re trying to find Eron Harris,” Izzo said. “We know we need him in the scoring. We know we need him to be 15-point scorer a game. We’re getting close.”

MSU will begin its regular season when they travel to Honolulu, Hawaii to face the No. 10 University of Arizona in the Armed Forces Classic, Nov. 11. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally by ESPN