| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Magic Johnson was running the point
for the national championship team, and only three of the current
Spartans had even been born the last time Michigan State was No. 1
during the regular season.
Not even last season's NCAA championship team managed that. But
the pressure of being on top didn't bother this edition of the
Spartans.
|  | | Bowling Green's Trent Jackson passes off as Charlie Bell, right, and Adam Ballinger defend. Bell had 18 points for theh Spartans. |
In their first game since replacing Duke at No. 1, the Spartans
got 21 points and nine rebounds from Jason Richardson and matched
their best start by beating Bowling Green 85-69 Wednesday night in
the Palace of Auburn Hills' Holiday Classic.
"I don't think being number one adds any to the pressure on
us," Richardson said. "We still have to play just as hard as we
did before. Being number one doesn't help you at all."
Michigan State also was 10-0 in 1991-92. The Spartans have now
won 21 straight games, one short of the 1998-99 team's school
record.
"I'm a Duke fan, but I was cheering for Stanford to beat them,
so that Michigan State would be number one," Bowling Green coach
Dan Dakich said. "I wanted our guys to have the chance to play the
number one team."
Charlie Bell added 18 points, and David Thomas matched his
career high with 12 points and added nine rebounds for Michigan
State.
"Charlie and Jason are our go-to guys, so when they are playing
like this, it makes it easier for all of us," Thomas said. "We
know that if we just fill our roles, we will be in good shape."
Brandon Pardon led Bowling Green (4-5) with 19 points, and Trent
Jackson added 14.
"I told our kids before the game that if they didn't come to
play, Michigan State would kick their butts," Dakich said. "We
knew that we could lose this game by 40 or 50 if we weren't ready,
so I'm really proud of how well we played."
The Spartans led 40-35 at the half, then expanded the margin to
nine by scoring the first four points of the second half.
The Falcons cut the lead to 47-43, but Bell made it a 10-point
game with a three-point play and a 3-pointer.
After a free throw by Len Matela, Bell's fast-break pass set up
Zach Randolph's dunk that made it 55-44 with 13:15 left.
"I had been on the bench for most of the first half after I got
the two fouls, so I really wanted to get things going," Bell said.
"We knew it was going to be tough -- that team has a player
(Jackson) who transferred from Ohio State, so he knew what the Big
Ten is like."
The Falcons got back within seven points, but the Spartans went
on a 9-3 run that built the edge to 65-51 with 8:47 left.
At that point, the game turned into a showcase for the Spartan
showmen, with Richardson's 360-degree fast-break dunk bringing the
crowd to its feet.
"Jason played pretty well for us," coach Tom Izzo said. "We
were pretty fatigued with the holidays, but he picked it up during
the second half and really went to work."
Michigan State led by as many as 21 points down the stretch.
| |
ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Bowling Green Clubhouse
Michigan State Clubhouse
Michigan State tops ESPN/USA Today poll
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jason Richardson does a 360 degree dunk on the Michigan State fastbreak.
avi: 1629 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Jason Richardson skies through the lane for the jam, but gets called for the charge.
avi: 1436 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
|
