James Madison pulled off an early upset on the first day of the 2023-24 season by defeating No. 4 Michigan State 79-76 in overtime on Monday in East Lansing, Michigan. The win over MSU is just the second top-25 win in program history, having defeated then-No. 19 Cal on December 29, 1992.
JMU forward Raekwon Horton knocked down a three-pointer with 8.6 seconds left in overtime, and TJ Bickerstaff knocked down one of his two free throws on the ensuing possession to seal the win.
Bickerstaff hit a short jumper with 30 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Bickerstaff finished with 21 points and Terrence Edwards Jr. scored a team-high 24 points.
The Dukes were able to fend off an outstanding performance from MSU guard Tyson Walker, who scored a game-high 35 points. At the end of regulation, Walker had the ball stolen near the 3-point line. Michigan State finished the game 1 of 20 from deep.
JMU finished 22-1 last season and lost to South Alabama in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament to end the season.
Michigan State hosts Southern Indiana on Thursday before facing No. 2 Duke in the Champions Classic on Nov. 14. As for JMU, it will look to build on its upset win over the Spartans against Kent State on Thursday.
New territory for Tom Izzo
The last time an AP top-five team lost its season opener to an unranked opponent was – you guessed it – Michigan State in 2005. That season, the Spartans lost their opening game to Hawaii and on Monday Izzo experienced it his first home loss in November in his 29-year coaching career at Michigan State University. The last time the Spartans lost a home game in November was 1986. The Spartans have played most of their major non-conference games at neutral sites, but the loss to the Dukes still ended an incredible streak.
Walker was great, but Sparty needs more
Walker is not only one of the best scorers in the country, but also one of the most successful players in America. Walker made a layup with 1:26 left in regulation to give his team a four-point lead, but they couldn’t close out the game. Walker was one of only two MSU players (Coen Carr) to score in double figures. MSU missed 19 of 20 3-point attempts and other veteran players like Malik Hall, Mady Sissoko, Jaden Akins and AJ Hoggard didn’t contribute enough on offense to help Walker.
MSU has a unique blend of experience and veteran leadership that should allow them to win games like this with flying colors. That was certainly not the case on Monday. When the gauntlet of the schedule begins, MSU isn’t going to win many games shooting 5% from distance.