Akins scores 18 points, Cooper has career-high 13 as No. 18 Michigan St beats Western Michigan 80-62
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) Jaden Akins scored 11 of his 18 points in the first half, helping No. 18 Michigan State build a double-digit lead to set up an 80-62 win over Western Michigan on Monday.
The Spartans (11-2) have won six in a row and nine of 10.
The Broncos (3-9) were competitive in stretches of the game before falling behind by double digits midway through the second half.
Michigan State's Carson Cooper scored a career-high 13 points.
Western Michigan's Chansey Willis scored 12 points and Max Burton had 10.
The game marked the return of Dwayne Stephens, who was hired off Tom Izzo's staff in 2022. Stephens was an assistant for the Hall of Fame coach for 19 seasons and played for the Spartans under the late Jud Heathcote.
Western Michigan: In Stephens' third season, the Broncos can build confidence after starting strong in each half. They led Michigan State 11-5 and scored the first 10 points after halftime.
Michigan State: Cooper and Szymon Zapala (eight points and nine rebounds) made up for Xavier Booker's lack of production. Booker scored just two points for the second straight game after scoring in double figures in four consecutive games, capping the run with a career-high 18 against Oakland.
Cooper's alley-oop dunk midway through the second half put the Spartans ahead by eight and they pulled away for the 18-point win.
The Spartans had almost as many turnovers (11) as field goals in the first half and finished with 17 turnovers, stunting their ability to turn the game into a rout until the final minutes.
Michigan State plays at Ohio State on Friday night. Western Michigan hosts Toledo in its Mid-American Conference opener on Saturday.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Â | (Jeremy Fears Jr. gains possession) | Â | |
19:49 | +3 | Tre Holloman makes three point jump shot (Jeremy Fears Jr. assists) | 0-3 | |
19:21 | +3 | Brandon Muntu makes three point jump shot (Markhi Strickland assists) | 3-3 | |
19:04 | Â | Jaxon Kohler misses three point jump shot | Â | |
19:02 | Â | Chansey Willis Jr. defensive rebound | Â | |
18:43 | Â | Owen Lobsinger misses three point jump shot | Â | |
18:41 | Â | Jaden Akins defensive rebound | Â | |
18:34 | Â | Jeremy Fears Jr. turnover (Markhi Strickland steals) | Â | |
18:28 | +2 | Markhi Strickland makes two point layup | 5-3 | |
18:01 | Â | Tre Holloman turnover | Â | |
17:52 | Â | Max Burton offensive foul | Â | |
17:52 | Â | Max Burton turnover (offensive foul) | Â | |
17:33 | Â | Jaden Akins misses two point layup | Â | |
17:31 | Â | Jaxon Kohler offensive rebound | Â | |
17:31 | Â | Jaxon Kohler misses two point layup | Â | |
17:29 | Â | Broncos defensive rebound | Â | |
17:08 | +3 | Brandon Muntu makes three point jump shot (Max Burton assists) | 8-3 | |
16:44 | Â | Carson Cooper misses two point layup | Â | |
16:42 | Â | Chansey Willis Jr. defensive rebound | Â | |
16:23 | Â | Owen Lobsinger misses three point jump shot | Â | |
16:22 | Â | Max Burton offensive rebound | Â | |
16:22 | Â | Brandon Muntu misses three point jump shot | Â | |
16:22 | Â | Markhi Strickland offensive rebound | Â | |
16:22 | Â | Carson Cooper blocks Markhi Strickland's two point layup | Â | |
16:22 | Â | Broncos offensive rebound | Â | |
16:06 | Â | JaVaughn Hannah misses two point jump shot | Â | |
16:04 | Â | Carson Cooper defensive rebound | Â | |
15:49 | Â | Owen Lobsinger shooting foul | Â | |
15:49 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
15:49 | +1 | Carson Cooper makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 8-4 | |
15:49 | +1 | Carson Cooper makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 8-5 | |
15:35 | Â | Carson Cooper blocks Seryee Lewis's two point jump shot | Â | |
15:33 | Â | Seryee Lewis offensive rebound | Â | |
15:30 | Â | Carson Cooper personal foul | Â | |
15:15 | +3 | JaVaughn Hannah makes three point jump shot (Owen Lobsinger assists) | 11-5 | |
15:06 | Â | Coen Carr misses two point layup | Â | |
15:04 | Â | Owen Lobsinger defensive rebound | Â | |
14:54 | Â | Owen Lobsinger turnover (Coen Carr steals) | Â | |
14:47 | +2 | Jase Richardson makes two point dunk (Tre Holloman assists) | 11-7 | |
14:25 | Â | Chansey Willis Jr. misses three point jump shot | Â | |
14:23 | Â | Coen Carr defensive rebound | Â | |
13:54 | +3 | Tre Holloman makes three point jump shot (Xavier Booker assists) | 11-10 | |
13:23 | Â | Owen Lobsinger misses three point jump shot | Â | |
13:21 | Â | Carson Cooper defensive rebound | Â | |
13:21 | Â | Seryee Lewis personal foul | Â | |
13:13 | Â | Jase Richardson turnover (bad pass) | Â | |
13:01 | Â | Marquese Josephs turnover (traveling) | Â | |
12:53 | +2 | Jase Richardson makes two point layup | 11-12 | |
12:51 | Â | Marquese Josephs shooting foul | Â | |
12:51 | +1 | Jase Richardson makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 11-13 | |
12:31 | Â | Markhi Strickland turnover (Frankie Fidler steals) | Â | |
12:23 | +2 | Jaden Akins makes two point layup (Jase Richardson assists) | 11-15 | |
12:13 | Â | JaVaughn Hannah turnover (bad pass) | Â | |
12:00 | Â | Frankie Fidler misses two point jump shot | Â | |
11:58 | Â | Donovan Williams defensive rebound | Â | |
11:56 | Â | Frankie Fidler blocks Donovan Williams's two point layup | Â | |
11:55 | Â | Broncos offensive rebound | Â | |
11:53 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
11:42 | Â | Donovan Williams misses three point jump shot | Â | |
11:40 | Â | Jeremy Fears Jr. defensive rebound | Â | |
11:35 | Â | Chansey Willis Jr. shooting foul (Jeremy Fears Jr. draws the foul) | Â | |
11:35 | Â | Jeremy Fears Jr. misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â | |
11:35 | Â | Dwayne Stephens technical foul | Â | |
11:35 | +1 | Frankie Fidler makes technical free throw 1 of 2 | 11-16 | |
11:35 | +1 | Frankie Fidler makes technical free throw 2 of 2 | 11-17 | |
11:35 | +1 | Jeremy Fears Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 11-18 | |
11:12 | Â | Coen Carr blocks JaVaughn Hannah's two point layup | Â | |
11:10 | Â | Jaxon Kohler defensive rebound | Â | |
10:59 | Â | Donovan Williams blocks Jeremy Fears Jr.'s two point layup | Â | |
10:57 | Â | Max Burton defensive rebound | Â | |
10:49 | +2 | Chansey Willis Jr. makes two point jump shot | 13-18 | |
10:32 | Â | Jaden Akins turnover (Chansey Willis Jr. steals) | Â | |
10:23 | Â | Coen Carr personal foul | Â | |
10:12 | +2 | Seryee Lewis makes two point jump shot | 15-18 | |
9:56 | +2 | Jaden Akins makes two point jump shot | 15-20 | |
9:44 | +2 | Markhi Strickland makes two point jump shot | 17-20 | |
9:25 | Â | Jaden Akins turnover (bad pass) | Â | |
9:10 | Â | Chansey Willis Jr. misses three point jump shot | Â | |
9:08 | Â | Szymon Zapala defensive rebound | Â | |
9:04 | +3 | Jaden Akins makes three point jump shot (Jeremy Fears Jr. assists) | 17-23 | |
8:47 | Â | Szymon Zapala shooting foul (Seryee Lewis draws the foul) | Â | |
8:47 | Â | Seryee Lewis misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â | |
8:47 | +1 | Seryee Lewis makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 18-23 | |
8:37 | Â | Xavier Booker misses three point jump shot | Â | |
8:35 | Â | Owen Lobsinger defensive rebound | Â | |
8:28 | Â | Seryee Lewis turnover (traveling) | Â | |
8:10 | Â | Xavier Booker turnover (Owen Lobsinger steals) | Â | |
7:52 | Â | Owen Lobsinger misses three point jump shot | Â | |
7:50 | Â | JaVaughn Hannah offensive rebound | Â | |
7:45 | Â | JaVaughn Hannah misses two point jump shot | Â | |
7:43 | Â | Szymon Zapala defensive rebound | Â | |
7:31 | +2 | Jase Richardson makes two point jump shot | 18-25 | |
7:18 | Â | Max Burton turnover (Jeremy Fears Jr. steals) | Â | |
7:13 | +2 | Xavier Booker makes two point dunk (Jase Richardson assists) | 18-27 | |
7:13 | Â | Broncos 30 second timeout | Â | |
7:13 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
6:42 | +2 | EJ Ryans makes two point jump shot | 20-27 | |
6:34 | Â | Carson Cooper turnover (lost ball) | Â | |
6:17 | Â | Owen Lobsinger misses three point jump shot | Â | |
6:15 | Â | Jase Richardson defensive rebound | Â | |
6:08 | Â | Jaden Akins misses three point jump shot | Â | |
6:06 | Â | Owen Lobsinger defensive rebound | Â | |
5:43 | +2 | Max Burton makes two point layup (Owen Lobsinger assists) | 22-27 | |
5:30 | +2 | Jaden Akins makes two point jump shot (Tre Holloman assists) | 22-29 | |
4:59 | Â | JaVaughn Hannah misses three point jump shot | Â | |
4:57 | Â | Jaxon Kohler defensive rebound | Â | |
4:49 | Â | Jaxon Kohler misses three point jump shot | Â | |
4:47 | Â | Carson Cooper offensive rebound | Â | |
4:42 | +2 | Carson Cooper makes two point layup | 22-31 | |
4:20 | Â | Brandon Muntu misses three point jump shot | Â | |
4:18 | Â | Jaxon Kohler defensive rebound | Â | |
4:02 | +2 | Carson Cooper makes two point dunk (Tre Holloman assists) | 22-33 | |
3:32 | Â | JaVaughn Hannah misses three point jump shot | Â | |
3:30 | Â | Carson Cooper defensive rebound | Â | |
3:22 | Â | Jaxon Kohler misses two point layup | Â | |
3:20 | Â | Broncos defensive rebound | Â | |
3:20 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
3:09 | Â | Markhi Strickland turnover (traveling) | Â | |
2:58 | Â | Frankie Fidler turnover (traveling) | Â | |
2:23 | Â | Broncos turnover (shot clock violation) | Â | |
2:12 | Â | Spartans turnover (5-second violation) | Â | |
1:43 | Â | Markhi Strickland misses three point jump shot | Â | |
1:41 | Â | Frankie Fidler defensive rebound | Â | |
1:35 | Â | Frankie Fidler turnover (Chansey Willis Jr. steals) | Â | |
1:28 | +2 | Chansey Willis Jr. makes two point layup | 24-33 | |
1:20 | Â | Frankie Fidler misses three point jump shot | Â | |
1:18 | Â | Broncos defensive rebound | Â | |
0:55 | Â | Seryee Lewis misses two point jump shot | Â | |
0:53 | Â | Jaden Akins defensive rebound | Â | |
0:52 | Â | Donovan Williams personal foul | Â | |
0:52 | +1 | Jaden Akins makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 24-34 | |
0:52 | +1 | Jaden Akins makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 24-35 | |
0:52 | Â | Spartans 30 second timeout | Â | |
0:40 | Â | Jeremy Fears Jr. personal foul (Chansey Willis Jr. draws the foul) | Â | |
0:40 | Â | Chansey Willis Jr. technical foul | Â | |
0:40 | Â | Chansey Willis Jr. turnover | Â | |
0:40 | Â | Jeremy Fears Jr. technical foul | Â | |
0:40 | Â | Jeremy Fears Jr. turnover | Â | |
0:22 | Â | Chansey Willis Jr. turnover (Jase Richardson steals) | Â | |
0:02 | Â | Jaden Akins misses three point jump shot | Â | |
0:00 | Â | Szymon Zapala offensive rebound | Â | |
0:00 | +2 | Szymon Zapala makes two point tip layup | 24-37 | |
0:00 | Â | End of period | Â |