No. 17 Michigan State makes season-high 11 3-pointers to beat No. 12 Kentucky 83-66
Kur Teng hit three of Michigan State’s season-high 11 3-pointers on the way to scoring a career-best 15 points, and the 17th-ranked Spartans remained undefeated by beating No. 12 Kentucky 83-66 at Madison Square Garden in the annual Champions Classic
NEW YORK (AP) — Kur Teng hit three of Michigan State's season-high 11 3-pointers on the way 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 sank 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 shooting 21.7% from long range — fourth-worst out of 361 Division I programs — with just 14 total through its first three games.
Pounding the ball inside and cashing in on second opportunities, a much more familiar recipe for coach Tom Izzo's bunch, also worked. The Spartans outrebounded Kentucky 42-28 and never led by fewer than 10 after Teng's baseline fadeaway jumper deep in the corner with 2 seconds remaining in the first half.
Coen Carr threw down one of his trademark dunks on an alley-oop early in the second, and Michigan State fended off some Kentucky runs and expanded its lead to 20 and beyond in the final minutes.
The Wildcats (3-2) started fast and led 5-0 very early before going ice cold from the field. They were 8 of 29, including 4 of 15 from 3-point range, in the first half on the way 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 scored 10 apiece.
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