MINNEAPOLIS – It was clear from the start it wasn’t going to be Michigan State basketball’s day, but that hasn’t always stopped the Spartans from finding a way to win this year.
That wasn’t the case on Wednesday, Feb. 4, as the Spartans were outplayed in nearly every facet of the game and were totally flat after losing to rival Michigan last Friday.
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The Spartans lost, 76-73, and never led against a Minnesota squad that had lost seven straight games entering Wednesday.
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It was the Spartans’ worst loss of the year.
The Gophers punished the Spartans from outside, hitting 10 of their 21 3-point attempts as Tom Izzo’s squad couldn’t find a way to cover Minnesota.
The lone bright spot was freshman Jordan Scott, who made his first career start and led the team in scoring for most of the game with 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting, likely earning another start, especially with former starter Divine Ugochukwu leaving the game with a foot injury.
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The Spartans will need to find their form quickly, with No. 6 Illinois coming to the Breslin Center on Saturday for another huge top-10 showdown.
This story will be updated.
Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball score in ugly loss to Minnesota
