Michigan St. Spartans vs Connecticut Huskies Match Player Stats On Nov 25, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Nov 25, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Too big and too powerful down low, No. 4 Michigan State cruised to a 77-57 victory over Connecticut in the second round of the PK80 on Friday.

The Spartans dominated down low, outscoring the Huskies 40-14 in the paint while Cassius Winston provided the outside threat.

Winston finished with 28 points on 12-for-15 shooting with four 3-pointers. Nick Ward added 11 points and nine rebounds while Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Michigan State star Miles Bridges returned from an ankle injury to score six points in 17 minutes.

Trailing for the entire second half, UConn refused to go away easily. Jalen Adams and Terry Larrier did everything they could to keep the Huskies in the game, combining for 26 of UConn's 30 points in the half.

In the end, the Spartans combination of Ward and Jackson was too much down low as Michigan State opened up a double-digit lead with 6:58 to play and cruised from there.

Adams finished with a team-high 22 points while Larrier added 18.

The Spartans shot 32 of 66 (48.5 percent) from the field while holding the Huskies to 20 of 57 (35.1 percent).

Adams got UConn off on the right foot to begin the game. He hit three 3-pointers as the Huskies seized an 18-12 lead halfway through the opening half.

Michigan State came back, going on an 8-1 run over the next two minutes, punctuated by a Jackson. 3-pointer for a 20-19 lead.

The Spartans kept the lead the rest of the half, in large part because of their physical style of play in the paint. Instead of settling for 3-pointers, they pounded the ball inside where they had the massive size advantage.

Michigan State outscored the UConn 16-6 in the paint, shooting the ball 30 times from inside the 3-point line, compared to 15 times by the Huskies. UConn stayed alive by attacking the rim, finishing the half 8 of 9 from the charity stripe.

NOTES: Michigan State G Miles Bridges returned from an ankle sprain ... Bridges is expected to be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.