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MSU men's basketball controls all 40 minutes in 73-51 win vs. Minnesota

January 29, 2025
<p>Michigan State junior guard Tre Holloman (#5) takes the ball down the court as Minnesota senior guard Mike Mitchell Jr. (#2) chases him down at the Breslin Center on January 28th, 2025.</p>

Michigan State junior guard Tre Holloman (#5) takes the ball down the court as Minnesota senior guard Mike Mitchell Jr. (#2) chases him down at the Breslin Center on January 28th, 2025.

Minnesota was no match for one of college basketball’s hottest teams.

For the second time in eight weeks, Michigan State University's men’s basketball team (18-2, 9-0 Big Ten) defeated the Golden Gophers (11-10, 3-7), cruising to a 73-51 victory Tuesday night at Breslin Center.

With the win, MSU, the winner of its last 13 contests, remained the Big Ten’s only unbeaten team and became the first Spartan team under head coach Tom Izzo to go undefeated in December and January.

"You’re kidding yourself if you think everybody can stay up to this level 10, 12, 13 games in a row," Izzo said postgame. "And for the most part, we’ve done a pretty good job of that, so kudos goes to the players."

Tuesday night showcased MSU’s balanced and unpredictable scoring approach this season. Junior guard Tre Holloman shined at the end of the first half with three triples on consecutive possessions and finished with 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting from distance. Senior guard Jaden Akins pitched in 10 points and three rebounds, and sophomore forward Xavier Booker scored 10 points dispersed throughout all 40 minutes. 

Minnesota star big man Dawson Garcia finished with 21 points and five rebounds on 9-for-16 shooting from the field after being smothered early by MSU’s frontcourt. 

While it was less pronounced Tuesday night than the first meeting between the teams in early December, which MSU won 90-72 in Minneapolis, Minnesota simply didn’t have enough talent or collective physicality to threaten the Spartans’ deep, connected rotation filled with still-developing athletes. 

"You could feel their intensity," Minnesota head coach Ben Johnson said postgame.

MSU further cemented its position as the Big Ten title frontrunner. With 11 games remaining in conference play, Purdue, 8-2 in conference play, trails the Spartans in second place. 

The Spartans again avoided a midseason slip-up, never trailing Tuesday night and maintaining their rhythm as they enter a critical stretch of the season.

"I said at the beginning of the year, I thought four or five losses will win the league," Izzo said. "This is going to be insulting to my own team, but I’m not backing off that much."

MSU won’t have much time to relish its ninth straight league win, however, as it prepares for a five-day trip to the West Coast for the first time in the revamped Big Ten.

MSU will play USC on Feb. 1 (4:30 p.m.) and UCLA on Feb. 4 (10 p.m.) in Los Angeles. Both games will be streamed exclusively on Peacock. 

As the Spartans push for their first conference championship in five years, they will experience the travel-heavy demands of the Big Ten’s future. Izzo is now just one win away from tying Indiana basketball legend Bob Knight’s Big Ten wins record (353). Two MSU victories in Southern California would put him atop that coveted list. 

Gophers all out of sorts early

After beating Michigan, Oregon and Iowa in nine days, Minnesota had plenty of reasons to be confident entering Tuesday night. The Gophers lost to MSU by 18 points on Dec. 4 but were a complete team this time, with guard Mike Mitchell Jr. at full strength and Garcia playing his best basketball as the Big Ten’s second-leading scorer in conference games.

Instead, the Gophers came out of the gates Tuesday night looking shellshocked. MSU’s defense, ranked first in Big Ten defensive efficiency by KenPom, proved to be the decisive factor. The Spartans pressured the ball and denied passing lanes while their active hands forced numerous turnovers and transition opportunities. Minnesota threw possessions away, had its pockets picked and committed multiple shot clock violations. 

Minnesota started 0-for-4 from the field and committed three turnovers by the first media timeout. The Gophers started 2-for-13 from the field with seven turnovers before finishing the first half 7-for-22 (32%) while committing 11 turnovers for 10 MSU points the other way. The Spartans held a 21-12 rebounding edge at the break, seven offensive. 

Garcia didn’t score until the four-minute mark but still finished the first half with eight points. Mitchell, covered by MSU’s deep group of defensive guards, was held to a lone three-pointer, Minnesota’s first bucket of the game. 

"It was swarming," Izzo said of MSU’s defense. "I thought we did a good job on the scouting report. Even a couple of (Minnesota’s) guys said something to me. I thought we were swarming on those ball screens."

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The Spartans’ defensive identity, which has gotten stronger as the season’s progressed, was clearly superior to Minnesota’s offensive formula from the opening jump Tuesday night. MSU has made it difficult for its opponents to find matchup advantages, and the Gophers hardly had any between both contests this season. 

Spartans stay red-hot

Johnson and the Gophers ran into a juggernaut Tuesday night — a team playing its best basketball in years with a revamped nucleus and more unified attack. 

In winning its 13th straight game, MSU took care of business. The Spartans were steady and unshaken, like they’ve been all throughout this stretch that’s revitalized program expectations and belief. It’s been a "slow and steady evolution," Izzo said before the game. 

"Everybody wants to do more," Izzo said. "Score more of this and that, so I think the players deserve the credit."

Given MSU’s defensive strength, limiting Garcia and controlling the pace were keys for a Spartan victory Tuesday night. Garcia was a non-factor for much of the first half, and MSU’s forcing of 11 first-half turnovers enabled the Spartans to run like as they wanted.

Minnesota didn’t have enough firepower to truly challenge MSU’s 10-man rotation designed to keep options available and legs fresh. The Spartans prevailed convincingly, as they have tended to do recently, and took home another league victory.

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