Izzo finds no flaws in Spartans’ rout
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Tom Izzo usually is hard to please, consistently finding fault with his teams following victories.
After No. 3 Michigan State beat No. 5 Notre Dame 81-63 on Thursday, he looked and sounded uncharacteristically happy after a game.
“I shouldn’t complain about one thing,” Izzo said.
And that, even for Izzo, would have been hard to do.
Joshua Langford scored 12 of his 17 points in the first half to help the Spartans lead 46-26, and they had to answer only one rally to earn a lopsided victory.
The Spartans (6-1) have won five straight, including a rout against then-no. 9 North Carolina to win a PK80 Invitational bracket, after losing to topranked Duke.
“Since that game,” Izzo said, “we’ve rebounded a little better.”
Michigan State had 42 rebounds, twice as many as the Fighting Irish (6-1).
“They torched us,” Notre Dame’s Bonzie Colson said.
The Spartans held Notre Dame to 44 percent shooting, another factor that helped the home team have a 17-7 edge in fastbreak points.
“You defend, you rebound, and you run — that’s been the staple of our program,” Izzo said. “And if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
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At New York, Myles Powell scored seven of his 19 points in a 45-second span for the Pirates (6-1), who had four double-figure scorers, including Desi Rodriguez with 24 points. The Red Raiders (6-1) entered fourth nationally in allowing 55 points per game.
Seton Hall 89, No. 22 Texas Tech 79 —