Michigan State Basketball: Forbes’ record-setting night leads Spartans past Rutgers
Michigan State basketball has been red-hot of late, and Bryn Forbes made sure Sparty stayed on the winning side of things against Rutgers.
Despite winning 97-66, No. 2 Michigan State was in danger of trailing Rutgers at the half before a late three pointer by Bryn Forbes gave them a 43-41 halftime lead. The Scarlet Knights had lost 30 conference games in a row, but led the red-hot Spartans several times in the first half. Michigan State struggled to prevent Rutgers’ dribble penetration, leading to easy buckets in the paint.
The Spartans looked to be playing on auto-pilot for most of the first half and Tom Izzo was livid at the lack of concentration and effort displayed by his team.
Izzo was able to light a fire under his team at half as the Spartans left Rutgers’ in their dust in the second half thanks to a barrage of threes from Bryn Forbes. Michigan State outscored Rutgers 54-25 in the second half and it was never close after the 15 minute mark.
Rebounding looked to be optional for the Scarlet Knights, who were out-rebounded 50-24. Matt Costello was a beast on the boards, corralling 15 rebounds and adding 10 points for yet another double-double. Despite the numbers, Costello appeared frustrated with himself after missing easy put-backs on numerous occasions. He was just 4-9 from the field.
Denzel Valentine ended the night with a good line, 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, but it was definitely an off game for him. Valentine was ice cold in the first half and was not very sound on the defensive end. He appeared to be in a fog for most of the game, falling down at one point while starting the fast break.
3 Stars of the Game
Bryn Forbes
Bryn Forbes had a night to remember, scoring a career-high 33 points while draining 11 three-pointers, a big ten record. Forbes has now made four or more three-pointers in four straight games. It could have not come at a better time, as Denzel Valentine was out of sync for most of the night.
Harris had one of his better nights in a Spartan uniform, scoring 15 points while going 3-4 from downtown and adding 3 assists. Harris, Clark, and Forbes helped keep the Spartans in the game during the tumultuous first half.
Marvin Clark continues to step up in Kenny Goins‘ absence at the four. Clark made several key buckets in the first half to keep the game close and ended the night with a solid 10 points off of the bench on an efficient 4-6 from the field. Clark’s continued improvement and ability to stretch the defense will be key to Michigan State’s chances of a deep tournament run in March.
What it means
No. 2 Michigan State has now won 9 out of the last 10 games and is poised to secure a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament with a strong showing in the Big Ten tournament. If Michigan State beats Ohio State on senior day this Saturday, they will clinch the #2 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
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With Indiana clinching the Big Ten regular season championship last night, the Spartans have their sights set on a Big Ten Tournament championship, and ultimately another final four and national championship.