Tyson Walker scored 14 points to help No. 4 Michigan State earn a 74-51 home win over Southern Indiana on Thursday.
Jaden Akins had 13 points, seven rebounds and four steals, Malik Hall scored 12 points, and Mady Sissoko had 11 points and 10 rebounds to help the Spartans rebound from a season-opening upset loss to James Madison on Monday.
After going 1-of-20 from 3-point range against James Madison, Michigan State wasn’t much better against Southern Indiana, going 1-of-11 from 3-point territory.
But the Spartans had 10 players make a field goal in the game.
Jordan Tillmon scored 10 points and Jack Mielke came off of the bench to score nine points on three made 3-pointers for Southern Indiana, which shot 31.7 percent from the field overall (19 of 60) and committed 15 turnovers.
Unlike in a preseason game against Tennessee and its season opener against James Madison, Michigan State got off to a good start, taking a 37-14 lead at halftime.
The Spartans’ lead grew to 43-16 with 18:51 remaining in the game before Southern Indiana went on a 12-0 run to make it 43-28 with 15:53 left.
But Michigan State responded with a run of its own, going on a 10-3 surge to take a 53-31 lead with 12:31 remaining.
The Spartans scored nine straight points later in the half to take a 71-43 lead with 4:54 left to put the game away.
Michigan State separated itself early in the first half, holding Southern Indiana scoreless for more than eight minutes and going on a 16-0 run to take a 26-6 lead with seven minutes remaining until halftime.
Southern Indiana cut its deficit to 31-14 with 2:52 to go in the first half, but the Spartans scored the final six points of the half to take a 37-14 lead at halftime.
–Field Level Media