Michigan St. walk-on Izzo nets first career points

Jan 14, 2024, 03:03 PM ET

EAST LANSING, Mich.– Malik Hall scored 15 points and Tyson Walker had 13 as Michigan State ended its two-game losing streak by beating Rutgers 73-55 on Sunday.But no basket drew the roar of the home crowd more than Michigan State’s last among the game.With the game in

hand and 54.3 seconds remaining, fifth-year walk-on senior Steven Izzo, the child of Spartans coach Tom Izzo, signed in. The 5-foot-8, 150-pound guard had actually never ever scored in 43 previous games played.With 36 seconds left, Izzo took a pass on the right wing from Tre Holloman, dribbled to his left, crossed over between his legs and drove 6-4 Scarlet Knights safeguard Austin Williams right to the baseline. Izzo’s high-arching floater bounced on the rim two times and fell through while drawing a nasty. After being mobbed by his colleagues on the standard, Izzo transformed the complimentary throw for the Spartans’last points.”I like the fact that my

players were most likely more fired up than I was,”Tom Izzo said after the game.Aundre Hyatt scored 14 points and Mawot Mag included

12 for Rutgers.Following a 28-22 Michigan State halftime lead, the Scarlet Knights used the

first 5 minutes of the second half to outscore the Spartans 12-4 and take a 34-32 lead on Williams’layup with 15:20 remaining.Michigan State( 10-7, 2-4 Big Ten )countered 26 seconds later on when Jaden Akins made a 3-pointer for a one-point lead. Mag provided Rutgers the lead with a lay-in with 14:13 left, but the benefit was short-term as Hall tossed down a dunk and followed with a three-point play to kick-start a 19-0 Michigan State outburst in a 4 1/2-minute span.The Spartans led 54-36 until Hyatt made two totally free tosses to end the Scarlet Knights’five-minute scoring drought.Rutgers(9-7, 1-4 )hosts Nebraska on Wednesday. Michigan State hosts Minnesota

on Thursday.