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Michigan State Basketball: Report card for gritty win over Nebraska

By Connor Muldowney

LINCOLN, NE - JANUARY 17: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans watches action during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on January 17, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - JANUARY 17: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans watches action during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on January 17, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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LINCOLN, NE – JANUARY 17: Isaiah Roby #15 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers looks to pass against Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans at Pinnacle Bank Arena on January 17, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE – JANUARY 17: Isaiah Roby #15 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers looks to pass against Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans at Pinnacle Bank Arena on January 17, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

Defense: A

Concerned about Michigan State’s defensive effort this season? There was no reason to be on Thursday night as the Spartans held the Cornhuskers to just 64 points and they had a disastrous shooting night, led by James Palmer Jr.’s 6-for-21 shooting.

Matt McQuaid was once again the man of the night on this end of the floor, holding Palmer Jr. in check for most of the night and keying another big win against a top scorer in conference play. He doesn’t get enough credit for his defense, but his dues will come.

Michigan State played tremendous help-side defense all night long and made up for the plethora of picks that Nebraska threw at the Spartans. The constant switching didn’t mess with the Spartans’ flow and they held the Cornhuskers to just 33 percent shooting from the floor and 5-for-26 from long range. It wasn’t often that you would see a Nebraska player peel open for a shot.

Frustration set in with the Cornhuskers early on and continued throughout the night as they just couldn’t get anything easily.

Michigan State also forced nine turnovers and had five steals and four blocks. This was one of the best defensive showings on the season.

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