Michigan State Basketball: Report card for comfortable win over Purdue

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 08: Kenny Goins #25 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates after a second half timeout was called with Foster Loyer #3 while playing the Purdue Boilermakers at Breslin Center on January 08, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 77-59. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 08: Grady Eifert #24 of the Purdue Boilermakers battles for a first half rebound with Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on January 08, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Rebounding: B+

At one point in the game, I was ready to dub the rebounding the biggest weakness. The Boilermakers were killing the Spartans on the glass and that’s what kept them in the game for the first part of the second half.

The Spartans couldn’t keep Purdue off the offensive glass, allowing 19 boards from the Boilermakers which gave them a ton of second-chance opportunities. This is something that has to drive Tom Izzo crazy and, sure, some of the offensive rebounds came from unfortunate bounces but the Spartans had a tough time boxing out.

Michigan State pulled away in the second half, finishing with 47 total rebounds to just 34 from Purdue.

Kenny Goins led the way with 11 and four on the offensive glass, Nick Ward stepped up and neared a double-double with nine rebounds and Cassius Winston added six. Xavier Tillman had five off the bench, Kyle Ahrens had three and Aaron Henry, too, had three.

Michigan State prides itself on rebounding and it got back to the basics and asserted its dominance in the second half. Izzo would rather see a full 40-minute effort, though.

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