Michigan State basketball beat Penn State last night, 79-71, in a tightly contested Big Ten road game. Xavier Tillman led the Spartans with a career-high 23 points and a dominant 15 rebounds. Michigan State won despite turnovers and a 19-point deficit in the first half.
Here are three key takeaways from this game:
1. Xavier Tillman Is The Best Defender in the Big Ten
Xavier Tillman is ridiculously talented on defense. Last night, he put on another defensive clinic against Penn State Forward Lamar Stevens. Note, Stevens will likely finish his career as one of the best Penn State basketball players of all time. Tillman still clamped him up, especially in the second half during crucial moments. No doubt Tillman will be Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year once this season wraps up.
2. Michigan State Winning Despite Sloppy Play
Cassius Winston has made some very sloppy plays as of late. For instance, he stepped out of bounds last night against Penn State. This turnover was followed by a Nittany Lions 10-2 run, including a flurry of three-pointers. Later in the game, Tillman threw the ball away to Penn State. Michigan State’s turnover problem is not going away and this spells trouble for Sparty in the NCAA tournament.
3. Starters Carry The Team Again
Last night, Penn State’s bench unit contributed 19 total points. In comparison, MSU’s bench unit contributed eight total points. Marcus Bingham Jr. and Thomas Kithier did not score any points. The Spartan’s bench does not need to score an absurd amount of points per game, however, they must contribute more than just eight. We’ll see how this performance plays out as we enter tournament season.
Michigan State plays against Ohio State this upcoming Sunday at 4:30 for a shot at the Big Ten title. The game broadcasts live on CBS.
