Field Level Media
Nov 18, 2019
Xavier Tillman scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead No. 3 Michigan State to a 94-46 win over Charleston Southern on Monday in a campus game for the Maui Invitational.
Twelve players scored for Michigan State (3-1), which now takes some time off before heading west at the end of the week in preparation for Monday's tournament game against Virginia Tech in Maui.
Four Spartans scored in double figures, led by Tillman. Sophomore Gabe Brown, in his first career start, scored 12 while senior Cassius Winston and freshman Rocket Watts added 11 points each. Watts also had seven rebounds and six assists for the Spartans.
Junior Dontrell Shuler scored 15 to lead Charleston Southern (1-4) in the first matchup between the schools while Malik Battle chipped in 11 points.
The Spartans took control early by jumping to a 14-4 lead before Charleston Southern scored the next three. From there, it was all Michigan State as the Spartans went on a 17-2 run over the next seven minutes to effectively put the game away in the first half.
Michigan State led 40-18 at intermission with nine different players scored for Michigan State in the first half, as Winston scored nine and Tillman notched eight points and eight rebounds.
Michigan State was just as effective on the defensive end, limiting Charleston Southern to 20.6 percent shooting (7-for-34), including just 2-for-10 on 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes.
The onslaught continued in the second half as Michigan State pushed its lead to 50 at one point while limiting Charleston Southern to just 27.9 percent shooting (19-for-68) for the game. The Spartans, meanwhile, shot 56.3 percent, including 66.7 in the second half.
The Spartans played without sophomore wing Aaron Henry, who rolled both of his ankles during one play in the first half of the victory over Seton Hall on Thursday. Henry was in uniform but was replaced in the starting lineup by Brown.
--Field Level Media