In their second game of the 2020 season, Michigan State clamped down on defense and finished off Notre Dame, 80-70 on Saturday at the Breslin Center.

The Spartans defense was dominant, shutting down the Irish late in the first half with a flurry of blocks, steals and contested shots. Notre Dame had a four-point lead with 7:12 left, but the Spartans ended the first half on a 17-point run.

To end the half, the Irish missed 12 straight shots during the stretch, with the Spartans blocking five and recording a pair of steals in a display of defensive power.

The second half saw an offensive explosion from the Spartans, who were up by as many as 28 points in the half before Notre Dame pulled closer toward the end. It wound up being a solid non-conference performance by Tom Izzo’s squad as they prepare for tougher matchups down the road.

ESPN’s Seth Greenberg tweeted out his observations of this year’s Spartans, including their depth and versatility:

Now, the Spartans will get set to face another strong Duke squad before facing a couple of in-state opponents in Detroit and Western Michigan. For now, Michigan State is looking just fine on the hardwood.