For the second time this season, Michigan State basketball beat Oregon, and this time it helped them advance in the Big Ten Tournament as the Spartans took down the Ducks 74 to 64 on Friday. While Oregon played MSU evenly in the second half, they were unable to overcome a 10 point deficit they carried into halftime.
Below, you can see our five key takeaways from Michigan State’s big win.
The first half rebounding was superhuman
Oregon is no slouch, and they played MSU to an even 32 to 32 draw in the second half, but they were unable to overcome a 10-point deficit from the first half. MSU grabbed eight of their ten total offensive rebounds in the first half, a huge factor in their lead.
Jase Richardson can beat teams in so many ways
It looked like Oregon was determined in this game to make Jase Richardson uncomfortable. They played him extremely physical, and it felt like he was on the ground for most of the game. But Richardson, like he always seems to do, was able to take a beating, and use it against Oregon, getting to the free throw line ten times in the game.
Coen Carr’s been a consistent force this season
I am guilty of this as much as anyone, but it seems like every time Coen Carr has a huge game, I point it out like it’s an outlier. Then it keeps happening game after game after game, and it’s not an outlier anymore, it’s a pattern. Coen Carr has become one of the best rebounders on the team, plays dogged defense, and runs enough in transition that he is good for three to five dunks per game. Oh, and he hit a three in this one. If that becomes a trend, watch out world.
Jaden Akins’ defense is out of this world
Jackson Shelstad is a very good player. He was an All-Conference player this year. Jaden Akins had him in jail all day. Shelstad had to fight for every one of his eight points. He went 0-for-5 from three on the day as Akins felt like he was glued to him all day. It was very impressive.
Jeremy Fears Jr. has settled back down
There was a streak towards the back half of the season where Jeremy Fears looked to lose some confidence. I think those days are behind us, as Fears looked extremely confident against Oregon. Fears was third on the team in scoring with 11 points and attacked the basket with strength and aggression.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Five takeaways from Michigan State’s Big Ten Tournament win vs. Oregon
