Michigan State Basketball: 5 takeaways from big win over Texas

Texas looked to be too much for Michigan State basketball early on, but the Spartans rebounded and came away with a double-digit win.

What a game. Michigan State took a 25-6 deficit and tossed it right in the trash on Friday night, pulling off an incredible comeback after trimming the lead to just eight by halftime.

Texas, a long, athletic squad, gave the Spartans problems early on, but the Longhorns ran out of gas and Michigan State raced ahead early in the second half and didn’t look back. Michigan State went on to win 78-68, holding the Longhorns to just 24 second-half points.

Tom Izzo had to be proud of his team for the comeback, but the 24 turnovers were concerning. Still, to win by 10 after trailing by 19 even with 24 mistakes, the Spartans played some tremendous basketball in the final 30 minutes.

What’d we learn from the Spartans’ win over Texas?

5. You can never count this team out

The score was 25-6, Michigan State looked defeated and Texas couldn’t seem to miss. The game was basically over in the first 10 minutes, or so everyone thought.

The Spartans were showing no signs of life and nothing was falling. Then everything seemed to change. They came out in the final 10 minutes of the first half and throughout the second half and dominated.

Michigan State started making its shots and playing defense and — guess what? — it worked. The Spartans turned a 19-point deficit into a 10-point lead in the second half, winning by that margin and taking home the Las Vegas Invitational crown.

For many teams, a 25-6 deficit early in the first half would have been enough to rattle their confidence, but Tom Izzo kept his team level-headed.