Tyson Walker connects with Coen Carr for monster alley-oop against Michigan
Saturday night, the Michigan State Spartans find themselves in a dogfight in the hostel confines of the Crisler Center, home to the Wolverines. At halftime, the Spartans lead the Wolverines 39 – 37. But before both teams headed into the locker room at halftime, Michigan State delivered arguably the top highlight of the first half with this alley-oop.
With just over two minutes to go in the first half, Spartans guard Tyson Walker delivered a laser of a pass from the Wolverines mid-court logo. On the receiving end of that lab was none other than big man Coen Carr, who threw it down emphatically for the two-handed flush. You can check out Carr’s monster alley-oop slam in the video below.
The Wolverines have not made it easy for the Spartans in the first half. However, Michigan State does hold the advantage in drawing fouls, thus causing frequent trips to the free throw line and converting 11 of their 12 attempts. On the other side, the Wolverines have been more consistent from deep connecting on 5-13 three-point attempts compared to the Spartans going 0-5.
Michigan State secures road win over rival Michigan
Michigan State was able to handle business on the road, beating their in-state rivals 73-63. Despite the three ball not falling for the Spartans, who finished the game 2-14 from downtown, they were able to make up for that disparity with solid defense, forcing the Wolverines into multiple turnovers. Michigan State was credited with 15 steals on 22 of Michigan’s turnovers on the night. The Spartans also cashed in from the free-throw line, connecting on 17 of their 21 attempts.
It was a team effort by Michigan State and their victory over Michigan. However, Walker finished the game as the leading scorer on the night with 19 points. But he also tapped on three rebounds and three assists. Forward Malik Hall was the Spartans’ second top scorer, with 18 points and four rebounds.
With the win, Michigan State improves to 17-9 on the season and 9-6 in the Big Ten conference. Currently, they are one of the top four teams in the conference, and holding that position will afford them a double-bye in the Big Ten championship tournament.