'Really Disappointed’ - Izzo sends message after Spartans’ narrow win over Buckeyes
Spartans overcome 23-point first half, but Izzo says team “did not get better"
The No. 15 Michigan State men’s basketball team held off a shorthanded Ohio State squad, 66–60, on Sunday, Feb. 22.
Although the Spartans secured the conference win, the margin was far tighter than expected against a Buckeye team that entered the game ninth in the Big Ten standings.
Michigan State struggled to find rhythm in the first half, scoring a season-low 23 points over the opening 20 minutes and heading into the locker room trailing by three.
Head coach Tom Izzo did not hide his frustration afterward, pointing to unforced turnovers as the primary reason for the sluggish start.
“I was really disappointed in our team. Really disappointed,” Izzo said. “I thought we started off the game. I told Robbie Hummel before the game that I was most concerned about unforced turnovers. We had four of them before the game started and had one of them in the first 10 seconds. It is ridiculous, and I can’t sugarcoat that.”
Izzo explained that, like a football team scripts its opening drive, he scripts the first four offensive plays to start each game.
