For a fourth straight game, Michigan State basketball picked up a win and this time was a little different than the previous three.
The Spartans found themselves in a battle in the first half against 3-5 Oakland on Tuesday night, leading just 31-30 at the half. But whatever was said in the locker room must have worked because Tom Izzo's guys out-scored the Golden Grizzlies by 18 in the second half to win 77-58 at Little Caesars Arena.
The win marked Michigan State's ninth of the season which is a mark the team didn't reach until Jan. 4 of last season when they won their fifth straight game after starting 4-5.
What did we learn from the Spartans' ninth win on Tuesday night?
1. Xavier Booker is rounding into form
When the season began, there was a ton of hype surrounding Xavier Booker and even Izzo believed he was going to do big things as a sophomore, earning a spot in the starting lineup.
But the second-year big man just wasn't playing up to his standards.
Something clicked against North Carolina three games ago in Maui, however, and Booker has never looked back. After that big second half and overtime against the Tar Heels, Booker has scored in double figures in four straight games and he finished with a career-high 18 on Tuesday night against Oakland.
The Grizzlies didn't have an answer for him in the second half which is why the score got away from them and Booker was a big reason for that with his 18 points and six boards. He added a block and an assist in 17 minutes off the bench while shooting 5-for-9 from the floor and 3-for-5 from deep.
Booker is finally looking like the breakout star we all expected.