NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Kur Teng hit three of Michigan State’s season-high 11 3-pointers en route to scoring a career-best 15 points, and the 17th-ranked Spartans beat No. 12 Kentucky, 83-66, on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in the opener of the annual Champions Classic.
Jaxon Kohler made two shots of his own from beyond the arc to finish with a team-high 20 points and Trey Fort scored 13. Michigan State (4-0) made half of its 3-point attempts after entering the game and shot 21.7% from long range – fourth-worst in 361 Division I games at 4 total – with its first three-point programs.
Pounding the ball inside and cashing in on other opportunities, a much more familiar recipe for coach Tom Izzo’s pack, also worked. The Spartans outscored Kentucky 42-28 and never led by fewer than 10 after Teng’s baseline fadeaway jumper deep in the corner with 2 seconds left in the first half.
Coen Carr threw down one of his trademark dunks on an alley-oop early in the second, and Michigan State staved off some Kentucky runs and extended its lead to 20 or more in the final minutes.
The Wildcats (3-2) got off to a fast start, taking a 5-0 lead very early before leaving the field cold. They were 8 of 29, including 4 of 15 from 3-point range, in the first half en route to a second loss in three games.
Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 12 points, while Denzel Aberdeen, Collin Chandler and New York native Mouhamed Dioubate each scored 10.
Kentucky point guard Jaland Lowe missed his fifth straight game to open the season. He is out indefinitely after dislocating his right shoulder in an intrasquad game last month.
Next
Michigan State: Hosts Detroit Mercy on Friday night.
Kentucky: Hosts Loyola Maryland on Friday night.
