Offense was in short supply for Michigan State on Tuesday night. And when you go up against the No. 2 team in the country, that's a problem.
The Spartans shot just 32.3 percent from the field and went just 5-for-26 from 3-point range, also turning the ball over 21 times, as the second-ranked Kentucky Wildcats delivered a 69-48 blowout as part of the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden.
It was Michigan State's lowest-scoring performance since the 2013-14 season.
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The Spartans were down eight at the half, the Cats sprinting away from a 12-all tie with a 9-0 run in the middle of the first half. The Kentucky lead got as high as 12 during the opening 20 minutes, and Michigan State actually battled it down to a four-point gap with two minutes left, but things extended back out to eight by the break.
The second half was all Cats, who reached a double-digit lead just four minutes in and leaped out to a 22-point advantage with a 12-0 run midway through the period.
Kentucky's offensive numbers weren't too pretty, either, the Cats shooting just 38.3 percent from the field and going 3-for-10 on 3-pointers. But for the second straight game, Michigan State was dominated at the free-throw line. Kentucky went 16-for-20 from the stripe, while Michigan State was a mere 3-for-9. The Cats also had a 15-5 advantage in points in the paint against the small Spartans, aching from the absences of big men Gavin Schilling and Ben Carter.
Michigan State had no double-figure scorers Tuesday night. Kenny Goins and Cassius Winston each had nine points and shot decently, making four field goals apiece. Miles Bridges was a big disappointment Tuesday, scoring only six points and turning the ball over nine times while going 2-for-11 from the field. Bridges did, though, haul in 12 rebounds and block three shots.
Big Ten
Kentucky had three scorers in double figures: Malik Monk leading the way with 23 points behind seven made triples, Isaiah Briscoe scoring 21 points and De'Aaron Fox adding 12 points.
The Spartans dropped to 0-2 with the loss, suffering their second defeat to a top-10 team in just five days.