Nittany Lions have no answers for Spartans
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From Mirror, wire reports
UNIVERSITY PARK -- Malik Hall had a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds, Jaden Akins scored 16 of his 20 points in the first half and Michigan State beat Penn State 80-72 on Wednesday night.
"We got beat by a team with a culture, a well-established culutre, probably the best in the Big Ten," Penn State coach Mike Rhoades said. "That is where we gotta get to someday. Not enough juice in the first half. We were flat. We stood around too much."
Michigan State (16-9, 8-6) has won seven of its last nine games and four of its last five after starting Big Ten play 1-4.
"You can't give a team on the road confidence and easy baskets because that gets them going," Rhoades said.
Michigan State made 13 of its first 25 shots, while Penn State shot just 31.6%, to help take a 32-18 lead. The Spartans went on a 10-0 run to take the first double-digit lead of the game with 6:07 left before halftime.
Akins and Xavier Booker combined to make three 3-pointers on four possessions to give Michigan State a 41-26 lead. Akins made four 3-pointers in the first half as Michigan State led 45-31. The Spartans shot 56% in the half, while Penn State was just 11 of 29.
"In the first half, we got in our own way. Don't get me wrong, Michigan State had a lot to do that, but we need to get to a point where we don't get in that position," Rhoades said.
Penn State started the second half on a 7-1 run to get within 46-38. The Nittany Lions cut it to eight points again, at 58-50, but Michigan State scored the next six points to go ahead by double figures until Zach Hicks hit a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left.
Carson Cooper added 10 points for Michigan State, which claimed the season's first series meeting, 92-61, on Jan. 4 in East Lansing. Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard combined to score 10 points on 5-of-17 shooting.
"We had a lot of fight in the second half but we were too far behind," Rhoades said. "It was nice to see we had some good basketball in us. We are not an easy out, but we are not good enough to beat teams with a great culutre. That is what we have to fight to get to."
Hicks and Ace Baldwin Jr. each scored 15 points for Penn State (12-13, 6-8), which had won three of its last four games -- with all three victories by double digits. Nick Kern Jr. added 14 points.
Michigan State travels to play Michigan on Saturday. Penn State plays at Nebraska on Saturday.
MICHIGAN ST. (16-9): Hall 10-13 8-8 29, Sissoko 1-2 1-2 3, Akins 8-17 0-0 20, Hoggard 2-9 0-0 4, Walker 3-8 0-0 6, Holloman 0-1 1-2 1, Cooper 3-4 4-4 10, Carr 1-1 0-0 2, Kohler 0-2 0-0 0, Booker 2-2 0-0 5. Totals 30-59 14-16 80.
PENN ST. (12-13): Hicks 5-8 0-0 15, Wahab 2-6 0-0 4, Baldwin 3-11 8-8 15, Dunn 1-3 0-0 3, Kern 6-7 0-0 14, Clary 3-6 2-2 8, Johnson 2-5 2-2 8, Aire 1-1 0-0 2, Brown 1-5 0-0 3, O'Boyle 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-53 12-12 72.
Halftime--Michigan St. 45-31. 3-Point Goals--Michigan St. 6-15 (Akins 4-9, Booker 1-1, Hall 1-1, Hoggard 0-2, Walker 0-2), Penn St. 12-23 (Hicks 5-6, Johnson 2-2, Kern 2-2, Dunn 1-3, Baldwin 1-4, Brown 1-4, Clary 0-1, O'Boyle 0-1). Rebounds--Michigan St. 30 (Hall 10), Penn St. 20 (Wahab, Aire 4). Assists--Michigan St. 15 (Hoggard 5), Penn St. 12 (Baldwin 7). Total Fouls--Michigan St. 11, Penn St. 10. A--8,818