The Coen Carr show powers MSU into the holiday break
The first four minutes from Breslin Center featured a rather slow start from MSU offensively and FAU seemingly determined to launch a bunch of deep threes. The Owls hit one to go up 3-0 but MSU responded with 8 straight points. Two Jaden Akins jumpers started the scoring for MSU. Then Carson Cooper came in and had a nice seal in the lane allowing Jeremy Fears to score. Next, an FAU goaltend led to a Cooper bucket. FAU’s 7 footer Matas Vokietaitis also picked up two fouls in the first 4 minutes and went to the bench. He was replaced by Tre Caroll, who would have a positive impact for FAU. Carroll would lead the Owls with 24 points off the bench.
After the 8-0 run, the next four minutes didn’t go as well for MSU. Florida Atlantic responded with a 7-0 run to take a 10-8 lead. Jase Richardson finally ended the FAU momentum with a three to put MSU back up by one. Coen Carr followed that with a defensive rebound, then hustled down the floor, got the ball back, and finished nicely at the rim to put MSU up three. But three MSU turnovers and an airball later, we were at the under 12 timeout with FAU up by one, 14-13, and Izzo decidedly not in the holiday spirit.
After the break, Xavier Booker missed his third straight jumper and FAU converted at the other end to extend their lead to 16-13. Frankie Fidler got going though, working for a nice mid-range jumper to get the Spartans within one and then a Jeremy Fears to Jaxon Kohler tip in put MSU up 17-16. Fidler worked his way to the free throw line and hit both to make it 19-16. Carr came in for Booker here and would soon have a very positive impact on the game.
The Owls would go back up 20-19 after 12 minutes and MSU had only two offensive rebounds at this point. Syzmon Zapala would grab a couple of offensive boards on MSU’s next two possessions though. He was called for traveling after the first one and gave it right back to the Owls but his second board led to Jase Richardson getting fouled at the rim. He hit one of two free throws to tie it at 20. Then it was the high-flying Coen Carr show that would get the Breslin Center roaring. Coen had two incredible slams, sandwiched around a Zapala dunk and one, to put MSU up 7.
FAU would battle to stay in it though. Michigan State turned it over for the fifth time and Booker missed another trail three. On the other end, FAU hustled for an offensive rebound and then Ken Evans Jr. found Miller for a slam to cut the MSU lead to three. Fears responded with a strong move on the baseline, getting a bucket and a foul – the third on Miller. Fears hit the free throw to put MSU up 30-24. A Niccolo Morretti fall away jumper and then a Tre Hollomon three had the Spartans up by 7 at the under four minute break.
Fidler was fouled in the lane just before the break and made his two at line to put MSU up 9 – its largest lead so far. The lead would extend to 42-29 at halftime as MSU’s ability to draw fouls continued to help. Fears and Fidler both got to the line before halftime and Akins finished a fast break to end the first half scoring.
MSU went to the line 14 times to FAU’s five. Baba Miller, Leland Walker, and Kaleb Glenn each had three fouls for the Owls at the break while Vokietaitis picked up the two early ones. The Spartans also had advantages in points in the paint (18-10), fast break points (16-10), and rebounds (25-17). MSU did turn it over seven times but only gave up two points off of those giveaways.
The only player without much of an impact for the Spartans was Booker, who has had some big second halves in recent games, but that script didn’t really play out today
MSU started the second half with an effort to get Kohler going in the paint. He missed a finish at the rim but got fouled and made both to put the Spartans up 15. After an incredibly athletic block by Jeremy Fears at the rim, Kohler and Zapala each had a chance to extend the MSU lead but missed putbacks. They showed nice effort to get three offensive rebounds between them but need to make those bunnies.
Florida Atlantic concluded a 6-0 run punctuated by a Moretti steal of an errant Kohler pass and feed to Glenn for a slam to get the Owls within 46-35. A Fidler jumper put MSU back up by 13 with 15 minutes to go.
A sloppy few minutes ensued from there before Richardson found Carr for another thunderous slam that got the Spartan fans excited again. Carroll hit for FAU before Richardson drilled a three to put MSU up 53-38 and forced a timeout from the Owls with 12:03 to go.
A Fears lob to Carr for his fourth dunk put MSU up 55-42. That was followed by a beautiful Holloman crossover and three to extend the lead to 16 but MSU continued to let FAU hang around from there. A Walker floater and a Carroll finish off an Akins turnover cut it to 58-46. From there, Zapala and Vokietaitis would have a little battle of their own. Zapala hit a putback but missed the and one free throw and the lead was 60-46.
Vokietaitis would respond though with an offensive rebound and putback over Zapala, drawing his fourth foul. Kohler would take over from there and resume the battle with Vokietaitis, with each scoring over the other in the paint. Miller also scored in the paint to make it 67-56.
Fears drove the lane to put MSU back up 13, drawing Walker’s fifth foul in the process, but missed the free throw. After an FAU turnover, Booker missed another three but Carr grabbed the rebound, drew a foul, and hit both shots to put the Spartans up 15.
Akins and Carroll traded threes and then it was time for yet another Coen Carr highlight. He rejected Carroll at the rim and then found himself wide open with the ball in the corner at the other end. With Izzo just a few feet away, perhaps Carr thought “Why not?” and let it fly for three.
Although the Owls got within 11 a few times in the second half, MSU was never really threatened and Carr’s triple ended any hope of an FAU run. An Akins jumper and another highlight reel Carr jam would put MSU up 20.
Before it was over, Booker would end his frustrating day on a positive note. Rather than make the easy pass to Kur Teng in the backcourt on an inbounds play, Fidler chose to get it to Booker who finally showed some aggressiveness in driving from midcourt for a slam.
Akins went down on a scary play before it was over. He went to the bench and didn’t return but appeared to be ok at the end of the game. Gehrig Normand hit a three to end the scoring for MSU and the Spartans went into the holiday break with an 86-69 win to improve to 10-2.
Carr led MSU with 17 while Fears and Akins each contributed 13. Fidler was also in double figures with 10.
The Spartans have one more non-conference game vs. Western Michigan on December 30.
Happy Holidays TOC, and thanks for reading.