V-Cast: Michigan State passes test against Oakland after being pushed for a half
DETROIT, Mich. – Michigan State faced a significant test from Oakland for one half, before clamping down on defense and wearing down the Golden Grizzlies in a 77-58 non-conference win at Little Caesar’s Arena.
After the game, SpartanMag staffers Jim Comparoni and Paul Konyndyk checked in from LCA with the latest V-Cast.
V-CAST TOPICS
FIRST-HALF SCARE: Michigan State led by a single point at halftime, as Oakland rode the red-hot shooting of in-state guard DQ Cole, who scored 15 of his team-high 17 points in the opening half. Cole made one fewer threes in the first half than the Spartans scored in the entire game on Tuesday night. Michigan State managed to build small leads on a number of occasions during the first 20 minutes of this contest but were unable to maintain those advantages. The Spartans hurt their own cause in the opening half with several unforced errors including eight turnovers and allowing eight offensive rebounds.
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JAXON KOHLER: Michigan State benefited from a significant advantage in production by its frontcourt, and Kohler was a central figure in the success that the Spartans inside the 3-point arc. Kohler finished with 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting and added 10 rebounds to record a double double playing a team-high 25 minutes. Kohler was the centerpiece of a Spartan frontcourt that dominated their counterpart from Oakland. This game provided yet another of example of Kohler taking on and performing at a high level in a tricky defensive assignment. Matched up against Oakland’s leading scorer David Allen Mukeba, Kohler did his part to hold the physical Golden Grizzly forward well under his season average in scoring.
BOOKER DELIVERS: For the fourth consecutive game, Michigan State sophomore Xavier Booker reached double figures in scoring. In this game, however, did more than just make shots. He also got the free-throw line, was effective in his role as a rebounder, and even managed to provide some rim protection on defense. Booker scored 18 points in 17 minutes off the bench for the Spartans. He was effective in his role as a floor-stretcher, making 3-for-5 from behind the 3-point line. Booker’s evening, however, was not mistake free. The big-framed sophomore earned the ire of head coach Tom Izzo with a couple of less than time closeouts on defense that resulted in Oakland threes. Overall, however, this was a game of significant growth for Booker who appears to be taking the necessary steps to become a more effective rebounder.
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