Photo: Joseph Maiorana ~ IMAGN IMAGES
EAST LANSING, Jan. 3, 2025 ~ #18 Michigan State basketball (12-2) withstood a second half run on the road against the Ohio State Buckeyes (9-5) to take their first victory of 2025, winning 69-62. After leading by double digits at the beginning of the final 20 minutes, OSU pulled within a point as the game dwindled down. The Spartans weathered the storm though with near-perfect free throw shooting and timely hustle plays in the final minutes.
Senior center Szymon Zapala led all scorers Friday evening, recording a season-high 15 points to go with two blocks for MSU. Junior guard Jaden Akins and sophomore forward Coen Carr followed with 14 and 11 respectively, both contributing with clutch free throw makes to help MSU escape Columbus with their seventh straight win of the season.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
VICTORY FOR MSU pic.twitter.com/xb14VAafcr
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) January 4, 2025
(CONTINUED) Sophomore forward Xavier Booker helped slow down the OSU momentum with seven minutes left in the second-half, scoring five of his nine points with an and-one layup and a loud dunk to spark the final push.
Junior forward Jaxon Kohler brought much-needed energy to the boards, especially in the waning minutes. He led all players with 10 rebounds, adding eight points of his own.
On top of shooting effectively from the free throw line, MSU was also efficient from the field. They converted on 24 shots out of 55 attempts to enter the scoring column at 44%.
Michigan State will return to East Lansing next week for their fourth Big Ten matchup of the season against Washington. Follow 760 WJR for game coverage Jan. 9 starting at 6 p.m.
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