11/18/25 09:21:00
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11/18 21:19 CST No. 17 Michigan State gets an unexpected 3-point barrage to
beat No. 12 Kentucky
No. 17 Michigan State gets an unexpected 3-point barrage to beat No. 12 Kentucky
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Tom Izzo had some nit-picking to do even after 17th-ranked
Michigan State pulled away to beat No. 12 Kentucky 83-66 in the Champions
Classic on Tuesday night. The Hall of Fame coach also pointed out a major
positive.
"We made some shots," Izzo said. "I don't know. Did we make more 3s today than
we've made all year? That's not meant to be funny, but it is funny."
Funny --- and close. The Spartans shot 11 of 22 from beyond the arc at Madison
Square Garden after making just 13 of their first 60 3-point attempts in their
first three games, good for 21.7% and fourth-worst out of 361 Division I
programs.
"I'm not really sure," Kur Teng, who had three of those 11, said when asked
what changed. "But we can only go up from here. We've just got to make sure we
keep on stacking these type of performances."
MSU alum Magic Johnson was impressed, posting he loved what he saw from his
alma mater and calling 3-point shooting "the biggest reason we won."
Izzo recalled telling his wife and athletic director J Batt that the previous
three days were his team's best practices so far this fall. While rebounding
and defending has been a hallmark of his three decades in East Lansing, this
most recent stretch had a lot to do with trying to ease offensive concerns from
missing shots.
"This entire week we've been really trying to step up our game in terms of
shooting," senior forward Jaxon Kohler said. "This week in shooting, we've been
shooting very well. The key is to go into this game and have confidence in your
shot."
It worked. After falling behind 5-0 in the opening minutes, Michigan State
scored its first 12 points by going a perfect 4 of 4 on 3s. The burden lifted
from there.
"The first one went in, and you just kind of build on that confidence," said
Kohler, who made two 3-pointers as part of his game-high 20 points. "I feel
like that gave a leeway for everybody to make their shots. Us as a team, (we)
shot the ball really well tonight."
Izzo acknowledged the Spartans "weren't great" other than their shooting early
and took advantage of some uncharacteristically poor shooting by Kentucky. The
lead was 17 at halftime, and when the Wildcats began to close the gap, Teng hit
back-to-back 3s to keep the margin from dipping into single digits.
"I'd seen them kind of flying at me for that one 3, so I kind of up-faked, took
a dribble and knocked it down," said Teng, who scored a career-high 15 points.
"I just want to make sure I'm there for my teammates in them type of moments."
Izzo, one of the old guard left on the college sidelines in an era predicated
by the transfer portal and name, image and likeness deals, was gratified to see
practice habits pay off. The 70-year-old joked that having a couple of sessions
a day may be against the rules, but he was happy to see the shots fall for a
change.
"We deserve to feel good for a night," Izzo said. "I was proud of my guys for
how they responded in a big setting."
___
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