Photo: Dale Young ~ IMAGN IMAGES
EAST LANSING, November 19, 2024 ~ Michigan State basketball (4-1) fought off a slow start against Samford (4-2) to take a tight 83-75 win Tuesday night at the Breslin Center in the first ever meeting between the two programs.
The Spartans found themselves down double digits midway through the first half, but senior guard Jaden Akins showed why he is one of the captains of the team, scoring 13 of his game high 25 to help flip the script of the first half and the entire game.
Coming into the matchup, the green and white had been struggling from beyond the arc all season, shooting just 20%. After a couple more missed three pointers to start, sophomore forward Xavier Booker and Akins managed to break the dry spell during the 23-5 run to end the first 20 minutes.
Sophomore Coen Carr also brought winning energy to the crowd with a couple of thunderous dunks, one of them coming on the fast break where he finished through the defender in mid-air.
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— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) November 20, 2024
(CONTINUED) “After a rocky start Jaden played really well, he made some big plays,” head coach Tom Izzo told WJR Correspondent Nick Lundberg after the game. “He’s getting there.”
Akins scoring outburst continued throughout the second half, hitting multiple threes to help the Spartans pull away. Samford hung tough until the very end though, keeping the game within five points until the final five minutes.
Junior and freshman guards Tre Holloman and Jase Richardson both made impacts in multiple ways. Richardson made it to double digits in the scoring column for the third time this year, finishing with 12 points while adding four steals. Unfortunately the freshman phenom had to be helped off the court in the final minute with an apparent ankle injury.
Holloman added six steals of his own, but was passing more than scoring, tallying a game high nine assists.
MSU will head to Maui next week for the Invitational Tournament starting Monday against Colorado.
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