EAST LANSING – A hard-fought win over Samford appeared finally in hand Tuesday night when Michigan State basketball looked to suffer an even bigger loss.
Jase Richardson crumbled to the baseline in a heap after twisting his left ankle late in the Spartans’ 83-75 victory over the Bulldogs.
The freshman guard had to be helped back to the MSU bench by team trainers with 52.6 seconds to play. However, Richardson had a wrap around his left ankle and was able to walk around gingerly with his teammates to thank Breslin Center fans after the game.
MSU coach Tom Izzo said he was unclear on the full diagnosis but believed from initial reports that Richardson suffered an ankle sprain.
“I told him he could take a day off but not two, and he said that’s fine with him,” Izzo joked. “I mean, it was a significant – it looked like a sprain. But he was happy in the locker room, so I think he’s gonna be OK. I just don’t know how long he’ll be out.”
THE GAME: Michigan State basketball gets another good test, but holds on for 83-75 win vs. Samford
The Spartans (4-1) leave this weekend for the Maui Invitational, where they open play in the three-game tournament Monday against Colorado (5 p.m./ESPN2).
Richardson, who was receiving treatment in the locker room and unavailable after the game, equaled a season-high 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting against Samford. He added four steals, three assists and three rebounds.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound son of former MSU and NBA star Jason Richardson missed about 10 months after suffering a knee injury that required surgery in 2022 while in high school in Las Vegas.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jase Richardson sprained left ankle, per Michigan State coach Tom Izzo
