MSU Battles Through 1st Half, Uses Multiple 2nd Half Runs to Bury Oakland U

DETROIT, Michigan–

Oakland University (3-6, 1-1 Horizon) gave their local neighbor and rival, MSU (9-2, 2-0 Big Ten) a great battle in the first half, trailing only 30-31. However, the Spartans used 3 extended runs in the second half, ballooning their lead as high as 20 points to move to 23-0 all-time against the Golden Grizzlies.

Jase Steal ➡️ JA Slam 😤 pic.twitter.com/gCtThmlFTi

— Michigan State Men’s Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) December 18, 2024

Spartans Forwards Prove Too Much

Jaxon Kohler came alive and was everywhere with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks in only 26 minutes (6-11 FGs). Xavier Booker found his stroke and poured in a game-high 18 points (5-9, FG and 3-5, 3-pt, 5-6 FTs) and 6 rebounds in 17 minutes of action. Fellow guard Jaden Akins was the only other Spartan in double figures, started out with consecutive 3’s to finish with 16 points and survived a scary fall while airborne in the second half, falling on his arm/side. The interior of the Spartans dominated with 36 points-in-the-paint to OU’s 12 while only mustering 8 points off the fast break. Szymon Zapala finished with a year-high 6 blocks, 5 points, 3 assists and 8 rebounds.

Tom Izzo and Greg Kampe are wearing matching Grinch sweaters tonight 🤣🎄

(📸: @MSU_Basketball) pic.twitter.com/uLXqY7UESf

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 18, 2024

Kampe had only a pair in double figures: DQ Cole had 17 points on 6-20 FG shooting (5-12, 3-pt) while reserve teammate Malcolm Christie had 15 points on 5-10 FG shooting (4-8 from 3-pt). OU won the turnover battle and was scrappy on the offensive glass but the cold shooting stretches in the second half was too much to overcome while Kohler and Szymon Zapala combined for 9 of MSU’s 11 blocks, extending those key runs.

Oakland suffered through stretches where they scored 1 point over 5:49 the final 1:27 of the 1st half until they scored a field goal at the 15:28 mark of the 2nd half, another cold stretch of 2 points in 4:29 (13:13 until the 8:44 mark when they hit a triple) and the final 6:21 outscored 17-6 to end the contest. Coupled with some foul trouble and being outrebounded by 20 at the end, the new-look Grizzlies just didn’t have the answers.

OU will continue their extended road trip, playing at Cleveland State on 12/19 before heading to Hawaii for Hawaiin Airlines Diamond Head Classic, returning to campus next on 1/2/2025.

TEAM STATS:

MSU: 26-60 FG (43.3%), 6-17, 3-PT (35.3%), 19-23 FT (82.6%)

OAKLAND: 19-63 FG (30.2%), 11-35, 3-PT (35.5%), 9-17 FT (52.9%)

RANKINGS

Record: 9-3, (2-0 Big Ten).

Rankings: AP- 20, Coaches- 19

KenPom: 18th // Bart Torvik: 21st

Updated KenPom- Off: 28th, Def: 17th. AdjT: 179th. SOS Net Rtg: 57th +4.68

FULL KenPom Stats: https://kenpom.com/index.php

FULL Bart Torvik Stats: https://barttorvik.com/#

NEXT ON THE CLOCK

MSU will host Florida Atlantic on Saturday back at the Breslin Center, 2pm on FS1. FAU sits at 7-5.

Then the squad will have another extended, 8-day break before hosting a long-time familiar name, and program, in Coach Dwayne “DJ” Stephens and his WMU Broncos on 12/30.

**DJ actually spent 2 years at OU under Greg Kampe as an assistant before returning home to MSU (where he played also) in 2003 for 19 years until he accepted the Head Coaching job at Western Michigan in 2023.**