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Rapid Reaction: Sloppy Spartans unable to keep up in double-digit loss to No. 3 Kansas
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Michigan State fought, but turnovers were too much against the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks Tuesday night in the Garden.
After a back-and-forth first half, Kansas was able to blow the game open a little bit and down the Spartans 87-74 in the State Farm Champions Classic.
More than anything, it was the open floor and an inability to hang onto the basketball that doomed the Spartans. In total, Michigan State gave it away 15 times.
The shot differential wasn’t huge, not what you’d expect with so many giveaways from one side, in part because MSU was able to crash the offensive glass and create some second-chance scoring opportunities. Kansas, though, got 16 points off MSU’s 16 turnovers.
Spartan point guard AJ Hoggard paced the Spartans with 17 points off the bench. He shot 8-for-13 from the field and added 4 assists.
Max Christie, a 6-foot-6 freshman guard and former 5-star prospect, made his highly anticipated debut but struggled with the shot. He was just 3-for-10 from the field and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. Christie finished with 9 points and 2 rebounds.
Julius Marble added 13 points and Joey Hauser put in 8 for Michigan State.
For the Jayhawks, it was a night where they flexed their muscles. The Jayhawks had a 23-16 edge in free throw attempts (Michigan State only hit 9 of its 16 free throws), single-digit turnovers, and looked good in transition. Ochai Agbahi led all players with 29 points. The guard was 9-for-17 from the field, 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, and 8-for-8 at the free-throw line.
The Spartans return home for a game against Western Michigan on Friday, Nov. 12, at the Breslin Center. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.