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TURNING POINT:

Michigan State led by as many as 17 points in the first half, but LSU closed on a 5-0 run capped by a Tremont Waters 3-pointer that cut the deficit to 40-28. LSU showed life to open the second half as Waters opened it with another try that sparked an 8-0 to get the game manageable at 40-36. But the Spartans responded with a 10-0 run and it was basically ballgame.

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STAT OF THE GAME:

LSU, which had a decided height advantage inside, got destroyed on the boards, particularly in the decisive first half when the Spartans outrebounded LSU 21-10, including 10 offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points. It evened out a bit in the second half, but for the game the Spartans still had a 41-34 rebound advantage. “I thought that was the difference in the game,” Michigan State Tom Izzo said.

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WORST MATCHUP:

LSU evidently didn’t think the Spartans were much of an outside shooting team. It wasn’t so much that Michigan State got hot, it was that the Tigers seemed content to let them fire away, for the most part giving MSU wide-open looks from beyond the 3-point arc most of the game. Michigan State was 7-for-17 in the first half and nailed 13 treys compared to six for LSU.

Scooter Hobbs