Michigan State Dominates UCLA 87-67 in Las Vegas

Michigan State had an offense tonight that fired on all cylinders and a defense that only allowed 26 points in the first half against UCLA.

It seemed like everything fell in the first half, with the Spartans shooting 54.2% percent from behind the arc. Cassius Winston did a phenomenal job of facilitating with seven assists and adding 19 points as well. His 15 points in the first half set the tone for the Spartans to gain an early lead and never look back from there.

These are the performances we need to continue to expect seeing from this Spartan basketball team. The team features an incredibly strong core of players who have potential to break out and have a good game at any given time.

The confidence seemed to be there with the team tonight, with MSU having a 51.6 % field goal percentage. The Spartans will need to bring this level of play tomorrow to defeat Texas.

Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images

MSU’s defense was stellar in the perimeter and from behind the arc, the veteran experience showed through tonight over UCLA’s young team. The field goals were not dropping for the Bruins tonight, the opposite could be say for the red-hot Spartans.

Since the loss against Kansas, there has been an unprecedented focus this early in the season. We’ve seen a physical game on both sides of the ball, an up-tempo offense through transition and execution on turnover’s from the other team.

Michigan State’s ability to capitalize on their second chance opportunities tonight was another reason for the major victory. It seemed like every time a shot was missed, an offensive rebound was grabbed and another two/three was being put on the board.

This was fun to watch tonight, a dominant victory over a top 25 team on a neutral court. The Spartans are only five games into the season, but the team is already working together on a high level.