Matt Trannon (Flint Northern High) and Marquise Gray (Flint Beecher High) both made their presence known on key plays in that second half.
The Spartans have played SIX of their EIGHT games, AWAY from the Breslin Center on Campus! - four in Hawaii. One each in Grand Rapids, Mi. and Detroit. Compare that to Dook, who I think plays TWO games away from Cameron. And BOTH are on neutral courts! Also, TWO very close, (one very lucky vs. a bad Va Tech squad) wins, yet Dook stays #1. - Jeesus. :roll:The Spartans grabbed control with a 21-6 run in the second half, turning a 35-33 deficit into a 54-41 lead. Great defense fueling fast-break highlight plays made the difference — and helped the Spartans shoot 77.3 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes.
The Eagles got back into it with a late 23-12 surge, cutting the 13-point deficit to two. But Trannon’s free throws with 1:07 left made it 71-67. Then Ager, Davis and Neitzel each hit a pair in the final minute to clinch. MSU made its final 12 free throws.
“That’s a tough cookie,” Izzo said of Trannon, a receiver for the football team who was playing his second basketball game of the season. “And for him to hit those two free throws — I was just hoping he’d hit the rim so we could get the rebound, to be honest.”
Same old, same old.