EAST LANSING, Mich. _ Rutgers has made Michigan State basketball earn every win between the teams over the past two seasons.
Sunday night's Big Ten opener was no different. And neither was the final outcome.
The 12th-ranked Spartans shuffled their lineup and struggled at times. To find consistency, to know where each other would be, to score and shoot and control the ball. Because the Scarlet Knights made everything hard.
Yet every time the Scarlet Knights pulled close, MSU found its counterpunch from its Big 3 � plus 1 � to keep them at bay.
Cassius Winston, Xavier Tillman and Aaron Henry combined for 49 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists, and new starter Gabe Brown added 14 points and an energy boost to give the Spartans a 77-65 victory to start conference play Sunday at Breslin Center.
Henry, who Izzo has challenged to become a better producer and show more consistent effort, endured shooting woes and some ball-handling jitters in replacing injured freshman Rocket Watts (left foot). Henry did not have a turnover and finished with 14 points on 2 of 10 shooting, including 1 of 5 3-pointers.
Brown moved to the wing and gave MSU added length on the perimeter. The 6-foot-7 sophomore shot 2 of 6, all 3s, but attacked the basket and got to the free-throw line eight times. He added six boards rebounds.
Winston finished with 21 points on 8 of 17 shooting with seven assists, but the senior All-American had five of MSU's 12 turnovers as Rutgers at times turned up the full-court pressure. MSU coach Tom Izzo ran Winston off the ball at times, letting Henry bring it up court in pressure.
Tillman was 6 of 8 shooting and had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Eight of the nine Spartans who played scored, and seven of them grabbed at least two rebounds as MSU had a 40-33 edge on the glass.
Rutgers (6-3, 0-1 Big Ten) led one time for just 44 seconds, late in the first half, before the Spartans scored the final six points to carry a 33-28 cushion into halftime.
The plucky Scarlet Knights pecked away and had MSU's lead trimmed to one point a few times in the second half. They stayed within single digits until MSU gradually pulled away in the final eight minutes.
Akwasi Yeboah led with 17 points, and Jacob Young scored 12 for Rutgers.
The Spartans (6-3, 1-0) are 10-0 all-time against Rutgers, but the past five meetings have been decided by 12 or fewer points. That included a 76-72 home escape in overtime two seasons ago.
