COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Michigan State basketball seemed to have it all together and was ready to kick things into coastal mode with a dominant first half.
One problem: Rolling out doesn't win away games in the Big Ten.
One solution: Tom Izzo's team steps in when focus is needed most.
After building a 15-point lead through hot shooting and stifling defense in the first half, the Spartans once again found themselves in a dogfight. And when they needed their stars and defense most, both came through.
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AJ Hoggard scored half of his 12 points in the final 7:14 after Maryland stormed back and briefly took the lead. Tyson Walker scored five of his 15 points in the final five-plus minutes, including a crucial three-pointer with 44.5 seconds left. And Tre Holloman's tackle on the Terps' Jahmir Young in the final seconds allowed the Spartans to earn their first true road win of the season, 61-59, on Sunday at Xfinity Center.
“We were desperate for an away win before,” said Holloman, who made three 3-pointers and scored all 12 points in the first half. “I just had to go big, and it just feels great.”
Malik Hall added 12 points and six rebounds as MSU (12-7, 4-4 Big Ten) found a way to win its third straight hard-fought game. It was the Spartans' deepest victory in a season without a true road win in Izzo's tenure since 20 years ago, when the 2003-04 team won as recently as Jan. 21, 2004 at Northwestern.
“We know it’s hard to win on the road in the Big Ten,” Hoggard said. “Just to come out here and be able to turn things around after they did well early in the second half… it's just a matter of working together and figuring it out, using our experience and our veteran knowledge, just fighting it and finding a way to find “win”
Maryland (11-8, 3-5), which entered Sunday as the worst 3-point shooting team (25.4%) in conference play, made eight 3-pointers and overcame early scoring woes to storm back after halftime and to take the lead for a short time. Young had a deep shot with 36.3 seconds left in the game that set up a 2-pointer — his foot was on the 3-point line — and his turnover in the final seconds was the Terrapins' eighth of the game. MSU scored 19 points on those giveaways and gave up 10 second-chance points on nine Maryland offensive rebounds.
Young had 19 points, but he did so on just 6-for-15 shooting and seven turnovers. Donta Scott added 16 and Julian Reese had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Terps. Maryland outrebounded MSU 37-22 overall in a tough game for the Spartans' big men.
“Normally I wouldn't be happy, except now we need an away win. “When you've been around for 39 years, you kind of realize that an ugly win is a lot better than a pretty loss,” Izzo said. “It was an ugly win and they deserve credit for making it ugly.” We deserve some blame for that (15-point) lead disappearing like that. And I’m just glad we won and can move on.”
The Terps had won 25 of their last 27 home games entering Sunday. The Spartans improved to 4-3 at Maryland under Izzo and won their second straight at Xfinity Center.
“They don’t lose at home, so it’s good,” Walker said. “And besides, it’s really important to get our first away win here.”
The Spartans travel to No. 8 Wisconsin on Friday for an 8 p.m. tipoff at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. (FS1). The Badgers won at MSU 70-57 on Dec. 5, opening Big Ten play for both teams.
Dominant first half for the Spartans
With Maryland entering the game shooting just 27.9% from 3-point range, Izzo decided to challenge the Terps and try to beat his team from distance.
“I think everyone does, to be honest,” Maryland coach Kevin Willard said.
Scott and Young each scored early as Maryland took a 2-3 lead from deep in the first 2:16 minutes. But the law of averages and MSU's Big Ten-leading 3-point defense – 30.5% for its opponents entering Saturday – caught up with the Terrapins, who missed eight of their next nine points from deep.
Meanwhile, the Spartans got another strong start from Hall, who had 10 points at halftime after scoring five of MSU's first seven points and hitting his first three-pointer.
It wasn't the Spartans' last game, as Holloman and Walker scored back-to-back possessions and created a 15-0 run with two 3-pointers and a breakaway dunk. Walker opened the spurt, which lasted 4:24, with another three-pointer, and Hall hit two baseline jumpers, increasing MSU's lead to 29-16 with 9:08 to play before halftime. After an Akins layup following a Walker steal and an assist on the counterattack, the lead grew to a 15-point lead.
The Spartans scored all 14 fast-break points in the first half, fueled by four of Walker's five steals.
“We started running,” Walker said. “That gave us the lead.”
The Spartans' defense stifled Maryland with 8:31 left between made field goals, with the Terrapins missing 11 straight shots. But with 1:48 before halftime, they pulled back to within seven points with a three-pointer from Jahari Long.
But Holloman's third 3-pointer of the half made it 7-2 just before halftime and sent the Spartans into halftime with a 44-32 lead.
MSU was 6 of 10 from distance and made 58.3% of its shots overall in the first half, while Maryland was 5 of 15 from 3 and hit 37% of its shots.
“We probably played one of our best halves of basketball, both offensively and defensively,” Izzo said.
We cling to victory
After halftime, however, Maryland upped the ante with more unusual outside shots.
Young opened the half with a 3-pointer and Scott hit another as part of the Terrapins' 16-4 lead early in the second half. Scott's three-point play and layup tied the score at 48-48 with 12:15 to play. Then Young's 3-pointer to Holloman with 8:23 left gave Maryland its first lead of the second half, 53-50.
The Spartans also had their turn to struggle offensively, as they missed 11 straight shots and went 8:09 between made field goals.
“In the second half, I think they stepped up their defense and really gave us some fits,” Izzo said. “And we didn’t handle it very well.”
But Hoggard attacked off the dribble with two layups to break the dry spell and take back the lead. Then, after an Izzo timeout with 5:23 to play, Walker knifed into the paint and got through traffic to give MSU a 56-63 lead.
“It changed the game tremendously,” Hoggard said of he and Walker getting into the paint. “We started putting pressure on their defense.”
And the Spartans' defense, including Holloman's key play in the final seconds, ensured Maryland couldn't come back, even when Young tried to.
Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. follow him @chrissolari.
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