Michigan State ends two-game skid with rout of No. 6 Baylor

Last updated: 2023/12/16 at 10:24 PM

BigP Published December 16, 2023

Tyson Walker scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half to help build a huge lead and struggling Michigan State went on to stun No. 6 Baylor 88-64 Saturday, handing the Bears their first loss of the season.

The Spartans (5-5) had a breakout performance with a 30-point lead in the first half, looking like the team respected enough to be ranked No. 4 in preseason AP Top 25. The win snapped a two-game losing streak and was only the second win in four games for the Spartans of the Big Ten Conference.

The Bears (9-1) had a shot-clock violation on the opening possession and 10 seconds later, Walker made a 3-pointer to set the tone for the game.

Michigan State’s A.J. Hoggard had 14 points, five assists and three steals while reserve guard Tre Holloman had 11 points. The Bears scored the first seven points of the second half to briefly put up a fight before falling behind by 30 again.

Baylor started the game with six players averaging at least 10 points, but didn’t have a player in double digits until RayJ Dennis made a shot with 7:10 left in the game. Dennis finished with 11 points and Yves Missi had 11 points.

The Spartans, who have gotten off to awful starts this season, led 22-5 midway through the first half and stayed in control the rest of the afternoon.

Michigan State played well enough to enjoy a home-court-like advantage at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, where fans haven’t had much to cheer about while watching the Pistons.

BIG PICTURE

Baylor: Entering the game, the Bears ranked among college basketball’s best with 91.1 points per game by making 43.2% of 3-point attempts. The Big 12 team was held well below its average in part because it shot 31.6% beyond the 3-point arc and had 21 turnovers.

Michigan State: Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo and his underachieving team earned a desperately needed win, leaning on defense, rebounding and making 63.3% of its shots.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The Bears will slip in the poll and the Spartans may get some votes after not receiving any this week.