Michigan State Basketball: 3 takeaways from blowout win over Toledo

1. Michigan State needs to learn to put teams away

At one point in the first half, Michigan State hit a shot to extend its lead to 40-15 and it looked like the Spartans were going to run away with a blowout win.

That, of course, didn’t happen.

Michigan State’s 25-point lead was 20 at the half and then Toledo chipped away at it in the second half thanks to some cold shooting by the Spartans as well as turnovers. Michigan State had four turnovers in the entire first half and then matched that quickly in the second half.

Toledo cut the Spartans’ lead to single-digits with under 10 minutes left and it just felt like the same story and a different day. Tom Izzo’s team had turnover issues again and looked disheveled on offense. There was no consistency and veteran leaders like Gabe Brown, Marcus Bingham Jr., and Malik Hall were doing their best disappearing acts.

There’s no excuse for a team to be up against an inferior opponent by 25 points at home and then let them hang around and get back into the game. That’s something that definitely can’t happen in Big Ten play. It looked like the Spartans took their foot off the gas and that’s something that needs to be corrected.

It’s time to see this team step on some necks this year instead of giving up 40-plus second-half points to teams like Toledo.