Joey Hauser had 16 points, Jaden Akins supplied 15 and Michigan State defeated Oakland 67-54 in East Lansing, Mich., on Wednesday night.
Tyson Walker tossed in 13 points, Mady Sissoko added nine with 12 rebounds and A.J. Hoggard chipped in eight points with eight assists for Michigan State (8-4).
The Spartans have defeated their in-state opponent in all 21 meetings.
Keaton Hervey led the Golden Grizzlies (2-11), who have lost eight straight, with 16 points and eight rebounds. Trey Townsend had 14 points and Blake Lampman added 11.
The first four-plus minutes unfolded as expected. Michigan State used its superior size to take a 13-6 lead with Sissoko and Hauser combining for 10 points.
The Spartans then went scoreless for nearly five minutes while the Golden Grizzlies reeled off 12 points. Lampman scored eight of those points, including a pair of 3-pointers off Michigan State turnovers.
Akins’ fast-break layup ended Michigan State’s drought.
Oakland maintained a slim lead for a majority of the half but didn’t score again after Chris Conway’s bucket in the paint made it 24-21.
The Spartans finished the half on an 8-0 run. Akins drained a 3-pointer with 2:25 left to put them back on top. Hauser scored the last points of the half on a 3-pointer for a 29-24 halftime lead. Michigan State committed 11 turnovers before the break but held a 12-2 advantage in fast-break points.
A 15-2 run early in the second half allowed Michigan State to take control.
Hoggard got it going with a jumper and Akins then fired in another 3-pointer.
Hauser hit a long two-pointer, then made a steal that led to Walker’s transition 3-pointer. Walker soon made another 3-pointer and Hoggard finished it off with two free throws.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Hauser and Akins stretched the Spartans’ lead to 52-29. Oakland’s next basket was a Townsend 3-pointer.
The Golden Grizzlies cut the deficit to 15 on another Townsend basket before Hauser knocked down another 3-pointer. Oakland couldn’t get closer than 11 points the rest of the way.
–Field Level Media