Jaden Akins had 13 points, 12 rebounds and six assists to lead seven Michigan State players scoring in double figures Saturday night and the Spartans scored the final 17 points to beat Bowling Green 86-72.
Frankie Fidler, who went 1-of-6 from the field but made 10-of-10 from the free-throw line, and Carson Cooper scored 12 points apiece for the Spartans. Tre Holloman and Coen Carr each added 11 points and Jeremy Fears Jr. and Jaxon Kohler scored 10 points apiece.
Michigan State (3-1) rebounded from a 77-69 loss to No. 1 Kansas on Tuesday at the State Farm Champions Classic in Atlanta.
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Bowling Green used a 14-2 run to take an eight-point lead with about 11 minutes to play. Marcus Johnson made a jumper and a layup before Javontae Campbell added a layup and made two free throws as the Falcons used an 8-2 spurt to take a 72-68 lead with 7:11 to play. Cooper responded with a dunk before Carr made 1-of-2 from the free-throw line, scored in the paint and then threw down a put-back dunk off a miss by Akins to spark a 17-0 closing run.
Akins sandwiched a 3-pointer and two foul shots around a layup by Fears before Fidler made 4-of-4 from the free-throw line in the final minute to cap the scoring.
Bowling Green (1-3), which was coming off a 107-43 win over NAIA-member Taylor, is winless against NCAA-affiliated programs this season.
Johnson led the Falcons with 23 points but made just 1-of-11 from 3-point range. Campbell scored 14 and Youssef Khayat 13.
BGSU went 0-for-9 from the field, 0-for-1 from the free-throw line and committed four turnovers in the final 7 minutes.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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