Tom Izzo sickened by another slow start in Michigan State’s 74-68 loss to Arizona
It’s early in the year for Tom Izzo to be angry about seasonal trends, but count him as being more than angry. The Michigan State head coach was incensed about his Spartans’ 74-68 loss to No. 3 Arizona in the Acrisure Classic on Thanksgiving Day in Palm Springs, Calif.
Michigan State fell behind by 15 points at 32-17 in the first half, cut the lead to 10 at intermission, and led 66-63 with 4:08 to play. But the Spartans were beaten on the boards in the late going and surrendered victory to one of the best teams in the country.
“I’m sick of getting off to slow starts and I’m sick of our leadership,” Izzo said. “It’s got to get better. When we do a hell of a job and come back against a very, very good team and we played five guys and a couple of officials and I’m upset about it.”
The Spartans fell to 3-2 and will play host to Georgia Southern at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Arizona, which had scored 97 points or more in four of its five games coming into this one, plus a 78-73 victory at Duke, improved to 6-0.
“The game was lost more or less in the first 10 minutes because we didn’t come out ready to play,” Izzo said. “Somehow that’s my fault and I’m going to fix it. I’m not real pleased with it right now.”
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Tyson Walker led Michigan State with 18 points on 8-of-20 shooting. He was 2-of-6 from 3-point range.
Michigan State shot 29 percent from beyond the arc at 5-of-17. Arizona shot 26 percent (5-of-19) from deep.
Arizona outrebounded Michigan State 39-34.
AJ Hoggard scored 15 points, all in the second half.
Jaden Akins scored 12, all in the second half.
When asked about Akins’ performance, Izzo said: “Jaden was better in the second half,” and left it at that.
“AJ and Jaden have to play better,” Izzo said. “That’s three of us that have to take the blame and I promise you I’ll take it.”
Hoggard and Akins combined for 27 of Michigan State’s 38 points in the second half.
Mady Sissoko had a team-high 10 rebounds and was 0-for-1 from the field for two points.
Malik Hall hit an 18-footer in the opening moments to tie the game at 2-2 and later backed down his man for a field goal in the post to cut Arizona’s lead to 42-39 with 16:35 remaining, capping a 7-0 Spartan run.
Hall finished with 8 points on 3-of-7 shooting. He had five rebounds.
Carson Cooper had six rebounds and two points but collected four fouls in 14 minutes and wasn’t on the court when Michigan State surrendered key offensive rebounds.
Walker led Michigan State with four assists. Jeremy Fears had three. Hoggard had only two assists to go with two turnovers.
Arizona had five players in double figures, led by North Carolina transfer Caleb Love with 17.
TURNING POINT
After Michigan State battled back from a 15-point deficit to take leads of 64-63 and 66-63 with 4:08 left, Arizona went on an 8-0 run to regain control of the game.
The run began with a Caleb Love gloater, which cut Michigan State’s lead to 66-65 with 3:47 left.
Then, Hoggard missed a floater, and Arizona’s offensive rebounding came to the forefront.
Trailing 66-65, Arizona’s Keshad Johnson hit give Arizona a 67-66 lead with 3:00 left.
Then Hoggard missed an open 3-pointer from the left wing, and Arizona answered at the other end with Johnson outdueling Hall for an offensive rebound off a missed Wildcat 3-pointer. Johnson was fouled during the rebound, and made both free throws to put the Wildcats up 69-66 with 2:09 left.
Then Walker missed a catch-and-shoot 16-footer with 1:01 left. A review showed the loose ball rebound went off Sissoko’s hands, giving possession to the Wildcats.
Arizona then took a 71-66 lead on a Jaden Bradley pull-up jumper against quality defense from Hoggard.
Then Hoggard missed an open 17-footer off a drag screen with 1:00 left.
Then came the third of three critical defensive rebounding shortcomings by Michigan State. On this one, with :35 seconds left, a rebound was deflected to Coen Carr as he stood out of bounds. Michigan State failed to get the defensive rebound on that possession, and Arizona retained possession.
Arizona didn’t score on that possession but was able to burn :10 more seconds before Love missed a 3-pointer.
Hoggard was fouled on the defensive rebound.
Hoggard hit both foul shots with :26 seconds left (71-68) but the Spartans could get no closer.
Arizona’s Caleb Love made 1-of-2 foul shots with:24 second sleft.
Trailing by 4, Walker’s driving floater was blocked out of bounds. Then Michigan State turned it over on the ensuing in-bound play to ice the game.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Michigan State took its first lead of the game at 64-63 on an and-one by Hoggard. He drove for a lay-up while being fouled by Arizona’s Pelle Larsson. Larsson fouled out on the play.
On MSU’s next possession, Hoggard drove for a lay-up and a 66-63 lead with 4:08 left, when Walker and Carr combined for a strip steal.
Michigan State had all of the momentum and the makings of an emotional victory. But Arizona answered with the 8-0 run, sending the Spartans spiraling toward another frustrating early-season loss.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
Hoggard had the ball stolen from him by Caleb Love during an in-bound play with Michigan State trailing by 4 with less than :20 seconds to play. Hoggard didn’t see Love as he gathered an in-bound pass, leading to the turnover and a runout dunk by KJ Lewis with :11 seconds left, providing the 74-68 final score.
The turnover led to a runout dunk by 5X and the 74-68 lead with :11 remaining.
FIRST HALF PROBLEMS
Michigan State was bothered by Arizona’s pressure defense and rim protection in the first half. Michigan State shot just 38.7 percent in the first half. The Wildcats blocked four shots in the first half and altered several more.
Walker scored 14 points in the first half and kept Michigan State in the game. Freshman Coen Carr had five points in the first half and Jeremy Fears had four while Izzo struggled to get productivity from Hoggard and Akins early on.
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