Michigan State Basketball: 3 keys to victory over Maryland on Senior Day

It’s Senior Day for Michigan State basketball as it takes on Maryland. The Spartans look to end their regular season on a high note. What are the keys?

Michigan State is going to try and end their regular season with a win against Maryland; someone they have played and beat already this season. The Spartans have been in a rut the whole month of February and into March it has not gotten much better. They have the ability to beat anyone in the conference but they have the ability to lose to anyone depending on which team shows up.

Michigan State will go into this game needing high energy coming from the team members who this day is all about, the Seniors. The Spartans need to end the season on a high note going into the Big Ten tournament. Against Maryland they will have a good chance and doing just that.

What are the keys to winning this senior day game?

3. Contain Donta Scott, Eric Ayala

Eric Ayala and Donta Scott had their way with the Spartans in their first meeting in Maryland. They led their team in points in the first meeting with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Ayala was only 4-for-15 from the floor but many times the Spartans were bailing him out and sending him to the line. He was able to take seven free throws and he hit six of them.

Scott had 14 points on just 5-of-13 shooting but was able to hit all 4 of his free throws. The Spartans have to do this same thing and make these players not shoot the ball well just like the first game but they cannot bail these two players out and foul them.

The Spartans have been struggling in the foul category this year and not making their fouls count. They bail their opponents out with cheap fouls and their opponents usually make them pay which also helps the Michigan State opponent get going offensively. They need to limit these these chances and keep Ayala and Scott out of the game.