Michigan State Basketball: Report card for critical win at Florida

Starters: B

Florida kept most of Michigan State’s starters in check as Josh Langford struggled with turnovers, again, and Cassius Winston’s shooting was off.

The Spartans couldn’t seem to get anything going for an extended stretch in the second half. Scoring 35 point in the first half was a good start against a tough defensive team like Florida, but they were only able to muster 28 points in the final 20 minutes.

Let’s start with Langford. He shot better on Saturday than he did in the previous few games, making 5-of-11 shots and finishing with 13 points, but his five turnovers were costly as they led to multiple run-outs and breakaway buckets. He needs to be smarter with the ball in his hands.

Winston struggled from the floor yet again, going just 4-for-13 and 0-for-5 from 3-point range, accounting for 10 points to go along with six assists and only two turnovers. He needs to find that stroke again.

Nick Ward probably had the best game of the bunch, going 6-for-8 from the floor for 13 points. He also had five rebounds and a block and when he got the ball in the post, he was dominant, but the offense veered away from that late in the game.

Kenny Goins had a decent game with six rebounds, four assists and a block, but he was just 1-of-5 from the field. He continues to be solid as a defender and rebounder.

Last, but certainly not least, Kyle Ahrens was the hero down the stretch. He finished with the game-sealing dunk with under 10 seconds left and added a huge 3-pointer and driving layup in the final few minutes. All of his seven points were in the clutch.