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Michigan State Basketball: Report card for win over Louisiana-Monroe

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 14: Kenny Goins #25 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket during a game against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks in the first half at Breslin Center on November 14, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 14: Kenny Goins #25 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket during a game against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks in the first half at Breslin Center on November 14, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MI – NOVEMBER 14: Michael Ertel #2 of the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks drives past Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans in the second half at Breslin Center on November 14, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI – NOVEMBER 14: Michael Ertel #2 of the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks drives past Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans in the second half at Breslin Center on November 14, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

Defense: A-

This category would have received a perfect ‘A’ grade, but the Spartans struggled to defend the 3-point line again. It wasn’t even that they were giving up open threes, but they weren’t stepping out or putting their hands up on the shot. Not enough contesting on long-range jumpers.

Luckily, the Warhawks weren’t making their long-range shots at a high clip, going just 5-of-19, but this is something that Tom Izzo must address during the week before their next game this weekend. Lock down the perimeter and don’t even let teams get up these open shots.

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Louisiana-Monroe was held to just 18-of-59 shooting from the field, which is just 31 percent. The Warhawks weren’t the best shooting team coming into the game, and that continued. They made 26 percent from beyond the arc and had their most success at the foul line. In fact, 18 of their 59 points came from the charity stripe.

Michigan State finished with seven blocks and seven steals and finished with 36 defensive rebounds. Not a bad overall effort from this side of the ball.

Two of ULM’s starters combined for 45 points, which means that the Spartans did a solid job on everyone else, holding the remaining seven players to just 14 points.

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