Walker Scores 25 as Michigan State Tops No. 6 Baylor, 88-64 - Michigan State University Athletics (2024)

• Summary
• Box Score

Rey Del Rio

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 12/16/2023 5:30:00 PM

DETROIT – Michigan State's men's basketball team opened up a 28-point lead at halftime and never looked back en route to an 88-64 win over No. 6 Baylor in the Continental Tire Motor City Invitational on Saturday afternoon in front of 13,277 fans at Little Caesars Arena.

Graduate guard Tyson Walker scored a game-high 25 points to lead three players in double figures, adding four assists, three rebounds and five steals. Senior guard A.J. Hoggard finished with 14 points, five assists and three steals and sophom*ore guard Tre Holloman added 11 points, two rebounds and two steals off the bench.

Records
Michigan State improves to 5-5 overall while Baylor falls to 9-1.

Recap

• Michigan State went into the break with a 28-point lead, 45-17, but Baylor came racing out in the second half and forced four turnovers over the first two minutes as the Bears pulled to within 21 points, 47-26, on a layup from Jayden Nunn.
• The Spartans responded with a 9-3 burst and took a 56-29 lead on an alleyoop from junior guard Jaden Akins at the 15:51 mark.
• Baylor would get no closer than 23 points the rest of the way and the Spartans pushed the lead to 30 points for the second time in the game with 4:23 left when Hoggard fed Walker for an alleyoop, making it 78-48.
• Led by Walker, the Spartans raced out to a 45-17 at the break, with MSU connecting on 63.0 percent of their first half shots (17-of-27), including 71.4 percent from 3-point land (5-of-7).
• Walker hit a 3 to open things up and a layup from Sissoko made it 5-0 in the opening minute-plus.
• A layup from Baylor Yves Missi cut the lead to 9-7, but the Spartans went on a 13-0 run with bookend 3-pointers from Walker extending the lead to 22-7 at the 11:03 mark.
• A pair of free throws from sophom*ore center Carson Cooper pushed the lead to 21 points, 32-11, with 5:34 to play in the half and that was part of a 17-4 run over 5:34 as the Spartans took a 30-point lead, 45-15, on a fast break dunk from freshman forward Coen Carr with 1:08 to play.
• A jumper from RayJ Dennis cut the lead to 45-17 at the break.

Key Stats

• Michigan State shot 63.3 percent from the floor (31-of-49), including 66.7 percent from 3-point land (8-of-12).
• The Spartans out-rebounded Baylor, 29-20, had eight offensive rebounds and 15 second-chance points.
• Michigan State forced 21 turnovers by the Bears and recorded 15 steals.
• Tyson Walker scored 18 of his game-high 25 points in the first half.

Notes

• Michigan State won its first game against Baylor in three meetings between the teams.
• The Spartans now have an all-time record of 5-1 at Little Caesars Arena.
• The Spartans are 5-1 when leading at the half.
• MSU shot a season-high 63.3 percent from the floor and it was the first time the team shot at least 60 percent from the floor since a Dec. 31, 2017 against Savannah State.
• The Spartans are 5-0 when out-shooting their opponent.
• MSU held a 29-20 edge in rebounding and the team is 4-0 when controlling the boards.
• MSU scored a season-high 88 points.
• The Spartans also had a season-high 15 steals, the most by the team since 16 against Wisconsin on March 7, 2013.
• Tyson Walker scored a game-high 25 points, his ninth game in double figures this year and the 82nd of his career.
  • Walker has scored at least 20 points five times this year.
  • He has now scored 987 points in 79 career games at Michigan State and needs 13 to reach the 1,000-point mark as a Spartan.
  • Walker also had five steals, his second game this season with at least 5 (he had 6 in the season opener against James Madison).
• A.J. Hoggard scored 14 points and five assists.
  • He has scored in double figures seven times this year and 41 in his career.
  • It was his sixth time this season leading the team in assists and the 57th of his career.
• Tre Holloman scored 11 points off the bench, his second game in double figures this year.

Up Next
Michigan State has a quick turnaround, returning to host Oakland at the Breslin Center on Monday, Dec. 20 (7 p.m., BTN), with Jason Ross Jr. and Dane Fife calling all of the action.