Malik Hall tied his career high with 24 points as Michigan State extended its winning streak to five games by thumping Penn State 92-61 in the Big Ten matchup in East Lansing, Mich. on Thursday night.
Tyson Walker had 22 points in a game the Spartans (9-5 overall, 1-2 Big Ten) never trailed. Tre Holloman had 10 points and six assists and Jaden Akins and A.J. Hoggard each added 10 points with four assists. The Spartans shot 56.3 percent from the field.
Kanye Clary carried the Nittany Lions (7-7, 1-2) with 21 points, and Nick Kern chipped in 10. Penn State shot 32.3 percent from the field and went 3-for-29 on 3-point attempts.
Michigan State now has a 26-2 record against Penn State in East Lansing.
The Spartans had a double-digit lead six minutes into the contest. Hall was the spark plug, scoring nine of those points. A three-point play by Kern pulled the Nittany Lions within six points at 18-12.
Hoggard knocked down a 3-pointer and Hall made another basket to push the Spartans’ advantage into double digits again. It stayed that way from that point on.
Walker hit a 3-pointer to make it 30-14, and free throws by Coen Carr nudged the lead past 20 points.
Mady Sissoko’s three-point play with 3:36 left in the half extended Michigan State’s lead to 26 at 46-20. The half ended with the Spartans up 51-26.
Hall made all six of his field goal attempts prior to the break while scoring 15 points. Walker had 13 points and five assists as the Spartans shot 64.5 percent from the field. Penn State was held to 38.5 percent shooting and made just one of 10 3-point attempts.
Michigan State increased the lead to 30, 67-37, on two Akins free throws with 15:07 left.
A 15-4 run by the Nittany Lions, including nine points from Clary, cut the Spartans’ lead to 19. Michigan State answered with a 9-0 spurt, including five points from Hall.
–Field Level Media