Michigan State’s season hung in the balance on Thursday night.
The Spartans needed a late rally to pull away from Minnesota to earn a much-needed 76-66 victory on Thursday. Michigan State entered this matchup as a double-digit favorite and after early season losses, they simply couldn’t afford to lose to the Golden Gophers here.
Michigan State got off to a fast start and appeared ready to make easy work of the Golden Gophers in the opening half. However, the Spartans failed to take control of the game and carried a 37-32 lead into the break.
Minnesota came out firing in the second half and quickly took their first lead of the game early in the frame. It was back-and-forth for most of the second half before Michigan State ended the game on a 14-4 run to earn the victory.
The Spartans were led in scoring by Tyson Walker with 21 points. Malik Hall (16 points) and Mady Sissoko (10 points) also reached double-digits in the victory over Minnesota.
With the win, Michigan State improves to 11-7 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten play on the year.
Michigan State will return to the court on Sunday in a midday matchup at Maryland. Tipoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on CBS.
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